The Princess and the Beggar Boy
by Daisydoodle820
Summary: Princess Marinette becomes friends with a beggar boy nicknamed Chat Noir. After years of friendship, he disappears without a trace. As she comes of age, she then befriends a guard named Adrien Agreste. After a traumatizing experience for her (& many in the castle) he is forced to leave her. Will Mari ever be able to find out the truth about Chat Noir? Will Chat Noir find Ladybug?
1. The Princess and the Beggar Boy: Part 1

Marinette was princess of France. She was not always happy with that fact, but her parents assured her that all would be well. When she brought up concerns for her future, they always comforted her. They told her that being a royal was not as glamorous as people made it out to be, but it had its advantages. For example, she never had to worry about where her next meal was coming from. She would be allowed to follow her passion of fashion as long as she fulfilled her duties as princess. After all, her parents made delicious food together. At one point, she had made a list of the pros and cons of her life. When her parents had discovered it, they had laughed at the pros, one of them being, "pastries".

Through all of her trials, Marinette was a happy girl. She always had a smile on her face and tried her best to understand others situations. Sometimes, she would run out in the street in boy's clothes so she could play with the children without them going easy on her. No one paid her a second glance, only thinking of her as a peasant's child. Her parents knew and encouraged it- it would be good for her to know her future subjects. Knowing their opinions and some personalities would be helpful when she had to rule. For now, she played pretend royalty with the children. She was mediocre in the games they played, but she was fine with not being the best. One day, in late August, she noticed a boy hanging out on the fringes of the group. She walked up to him and he said nothing. She studied him. The boy looked about her age with blond hair. His green eyes were open wide, observing the game of soccer that she had just subbed out of.

"Do you want to join?" she asked softly. He was obviously startled and jumped upon seeing her.

"Umm… I'm fine, really. I was just watching." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. She continued to look at him pointedly, waiting for him to say more. He tried to ignore her, but after a few minutes he gave in.

"I don't want to be a bother. I would if I could, but…I'm a tiny bit too shy to ask."

"Rom-hey Rom, can he join?" Marinette yelled. The kid nodded in approval and she turned towards the boy. She smiled in victory. He stared in shock, but her smile was infectious. She noticed that they were subbing in, and she took his hand. He blushed a tiny bit, but she took no notice. She pulled him along with her, hauling him onto the field. 'He had been observing for a while, so he knew the basics, right?' wondered Marinette. She nodded to herself, assured. Her assumptions were soon proved correct. Rom kicked the ball to her after maneuvering around a taller girl named Sara. She kicked it to the new boy, who had run from her side to the end of the field to the goal. He dribbled for a little, closing in the distance. He was surrounded by the defense, but he feigned left, went right, and kicked the ball above him into the air. He caught it on his knee through skill or a miracle, and everyone stood around in shock. He easily tricked the goalie and they had a point. Her team congratulated him while he stood sheepishly. Most of the opposing team was still in shock and the few who weren't were whispering to each other. He walked back to where Marinette was standing. She smiled at him. They continued to play, but the children soon deemed that the boy himself was an unfair advantage. At one point his team consisted of the worst players and Marinette. They were taken as a pair, as was done in the games they played. They were given the kids who couldn't pass, but Marinette stole the ball and always got it to him. He soon was christened Chat Noir. Why did they choose Black Cat? Because him playing was a bad sign for them. They separated the two after a while, deeming her help to be of great help. He had to run harder and faster, but he was able to get the ball. Her absence simply inconvenienced him- the end of the games that had once been two minutes long was now prolonged to four or even five. In their normal games, they took about ten for a single goal to occur. At the end of the day, he was hero and villain to both sides at alternating times. Marinette was proud of him and happy for his achievements. He trotted back to her after his seventh win and he grinned.

"Good job!" she congratulated.

"You too!" They conversed for a while about small nothings. As they were discussing which was better- green or red, somehow-she heard his stomach growl. He continued his speech about why green was connected with better holidays and objects. He ignored the fact that his stomach was practically screaming. Marinette was still half-listening when she launched herself into her thoughts.

This kid was hungry-he had definitely been putting off food for a long time. A day? More? And he seemed so used to it-he just ploughed through his speech. He was still fast and pretty fit, so he couldn't have been starving for very long. He looked pretty average for the lower-class Parisians.

"...would use Christmas as an example but red is involved there too."

"Red is better, on so many levels," she continued before he could argue. "Do you want some lunch? I'm sure-"

"Oh, uh, no thanks. I'm not hungry." She looked at him expectantly, and his stomach seemed to see this was a chance for food. It growled, and it was loud. He looked sheepishly at her and she took his hand. This time, he seemed to figure it was just who she was, and his blush was absent.

"We are grabbing lunch," she declared as she pulled him along.

"I don't have enough money! Besides, I'm not that hungry anyway."

"I'll take care of the cost."

"No, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," she insisted stubbornly. She continued to drag him behind her, and he gave up trying. She brought him to a small restaurant. She walked inside and motioned for him to stay. She had a few words with the chef and soon a waiter was coming to their table, asking what he wanted. He answered, and the waiter left. He stared at her in amazement.

"How…?" he started to ask.

"No questions asked. You are going to have lunch, and you will not refuse the food unless it is unsatisfactory," she demanded. He nodded, unsure of what to do. They were quiet while they waited for their food. Marinette was desperate for a conversation- anything- so she started to ask questions.

"How old are you, anyway?"

"Seven."

"Hey, me too. Do you have any pets?"

"Sadly, no."

"Do you have any family?"

"My dad died. I never knew him, so I'm not sad. I'm an only child. It's just me and my mom. I like it this way. We might be pretty poor, but we're happy enough to have each other."

"Oh. That's good that you have each other." She had loving parents, she knew. They took time off work to help her studies and for family bonding time. She couldn't imagine life without her dad- but if you never had one, she guessed he couldn't miss one.

"What about you? D'ya have any pets or family? I'm guessing you are from a noble family. Am I right?"

"I don't have any pets, and I'm not from a noble family. I'd kinda rather not say who I am."

"Alrighty then. What should I call you?" She looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a red. She looked out the window, and blurt out the first thing she noticed. It was a tiny little red and black insect, feasting on the aphids living off the flowers in the hanging baskets.

"Ladybug. Call me…Ladybug, I guess."

"If we're calling each other by codenames, I guess you should just call me Chat Noir. Do the other kids know who you are?"

"No, they don't really care that much. Unless you win every round." She looked pointedly at him, and they both laughed.

And thus their friendship started. They would eat lunch together, though Marinette still worried about him. In return, he would find small gifts to give her. Some days they would play games with the other kids, but most of the time they hung out together. They were practically inseparable. When other royals came by, Marinette would put on a fake smile and be what was expected of her. She seemed to be the perfect Princess. As soon as she could, though, she would change into one of her "Ladybug Outfits"- various types of clothes that were styled after Ladybugs, yet still blended into the Parisian streets. No one paid much attention to her as she ran past houses and stores, searching for her friend. She had other friends, of course- she was really close with Alya, who had an interesting backstory.

Alya was a princess of a country gone. She had once been the Princess of Gallia, but the monarchy had been changed into a democracy. Her parents let the people vote after noting common frustration, and they were not surprised to see the results-the people wanted a democracy. So, her parents were pretty wealthy politicians, but Alya still visited other countries as an Ambassador. She was Marinette's age, and her birthday was three months difference. Before Chat Noir, Alya had been the closest friend Marinette had. She still visited from time to time, but not often enough to be much of a rival to Chat. Alya had advice on a variety of subjects, ranging from how to dress to what to say. She always had something funny to say, and something kind to do.

Needless to say, no one knew that the princess was Ladybug. The store owners around the block only knew that the pair had the Royal Chips, which were given to those who had helped the monarchs. No one imagined that the perfect princess was running around the town. The years went by. The duo built a treehouse in Parc Montsouris, one of the parks in Paris when they were twelve. They used scraps of wood and metals to create it. It originally didn't look pretty, but with Marinette's skill with a needle and thread, it was covered in pretty cloth. It became their hangout and meeting place. They met up at least thrice a week, sometimes more. They most of all liked to play pretend and sometimes wrote some of it down. They had a joke that one day they would become co-authors and write under their pen-names. Sometimes they would wonder about each other's identities, but they never really asked about it. They were best friends, no matter who they were. Ladybug never really cared about who he was-she knew enough about him. They were best friends, and that was that. That was who he was to her. But to Chat Noir, identity meant more. He knew nothing-she knew he was on the poorer side of the city. He felt that he should know what her real name was, but she had made sure that it was clear-she didn't want to tell him her name. It hurt sometimes, more than he cared to say. She didn't trust him enough, not like he trusted her. He would have told her more about his family, their lineage and stories. But she never asked, nor offered hers. Identity was not a crisis she was going through. Chat tried to understand, but he just couldn't. He ended up pretending sometimes, that she trusted him enough to make herself known and care for who his family was.

Ladybug sometimes saw this, but she refused to change her ways. She tried to ease his inner turmoil by distracting him in their games. Sometimes, they would cook up schemes to prank the older kids who bullied the younger. They surprisingly stopped a great deal of bullying on the streets while amusing themselves.

Nevertheless, they grew older. Eight turned into nine, and nine into ten, ten to eleven. Inevitably, the years rushed by, their friendship never wavering. They trusted each other with their lives, and nothing could change that. Sooner than they expected, they were teenagers. They celebrated their birthdays together, and in late August-the anniversary of their friendship- they met in their treehouse.

The ladder was made of sturdy wood. Ladybug had wanted it to be made of rope, but then she realized that Chat seemed untrusting of it. She decided to let him keep some of his pride and suggested wooden stairs instead. He had happily agreed, trying to cover up his joy by claiming that "wood smells nicer". She made no comment, only gathering the wood required. Soon, she was glad for the decision because the rope they had stashed away got eaten by the squirrely neighbors. They had made a hollow floor to hide belongings in, but somehow the squirrels still found their stashes.

In the year of their fifteenth birthdays, France was suffering from a plague. It was named the Incurable Plague, for no one knew how it was spread or how it was caused. From what scientists could tell, it didn't affect children as severely as adults. The two had discussed it at length on one cloudy afternoon as they prepared their treehouse for the weather. They decided it wasn't much of a threat to them, and not to worry about it.

Ladybug was sure to be early for their anniversary birthday celebration. She had made a cake with her parents and pretend to have eaten it over the last few days-but in reality, she had been saving it. She had given up a week's worth of desserts, but it was worth it. Chat Noir had been insistent that what he would bring would remain a secret. She knew he wasn't expecting decorations, so she decorated. When he finally stepped up the ladder, he almost fell over in surprise. Ladybug grabbed his hand and ensured his safety. He looked around. There were so many colors. She had changed out the cloth-instead of their incognito brown and green shades, she had changed the colors to red, green, and black.

"I wanted to just decorate with red and black, but I guessed you wouldn't like that. It's half your birthday, after all," she said with a teasing smile.

"One day you will see the truth-green is the best color out there." He gestured to the half-green tablecloth, dramatically picking up a green birthday candle in the shape of the number "1", and sat down in his chair. He stuck the candle into the middle of the cake with a twirl of his fingers. She rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to show off.

"You wish, kitty," she shot back. She picked up her own number, a red-colored one, and stuck it in the cake, making the number into a fifteen.

"Happy fifteenth birthday!" they said in unison. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then they burst out laughing. The joy in the atmosphere was evident. Ladybug took a knife and cut the slice. Chat Noir was surprised to find that the inside was colored. He looked at her pointedly when he saw the red coloring inside of it. She smirked at him.

"Don't tie your whiskers in a knot, Chat. Look at the other half." He visibly perked up when he saw the other half was green. He clapped his hands in excitement and anticipation. She gave him a slice that would have fed three people besides himself, but they both knew his appetite could take it. He rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. He faked an evil laugh, eventually breaking into uncontrollable laughter. Somehow, he managed to utter an entire sentence.

"I shall take over the world with the cake!" She kept a deadpan expression on her face for a full twenty seconds before she erupted in laughter. When their laughter finally settled down into giggles, they ate their cake. Both agreed that it was one of the best cakes that they had ever tasted. Chat smiled as he stepped down the ladder. He made her promise not to look. She closed her eyes and waited for him tro give her the cue. He tapped her shoulder and she opened her eyes. The only sound was her small gasp. Ladybugs and fireflies were flying out of jars that Chat had set up around the tree, on branches and on the floor. The glow from the fireflies made the Ladybugs glow in the night. She looked at him in wonder, looking at the way his face was lit up in delight and by the soft light. Two Ladybugs landed in his hair, and three more on his face. She giggled and he looked at her. His grin grew- if that was even possible at this point- at the sight of Ladybugs crowding her too.

"Happy Birthday, Ladybug."

"You too, Chat. You too," she whispered with tears in her eyes as she hugged him.

"I was going to only have ladybugs, but I figured we'd meet at night and you wouldn't be able to see-"

"It's purrfect, Chat."

"Was that a pun? I don't think I've ever heard you make a pun."

"Neither have you. It'll be my new thing, I guess." In response, he laughed. She didn't think there was a more beautiful sound in the world.

They spent the rest of the night stargazing. It had been Chat Noir's idea to stargaze one night years previous, and it had become a tradition on their anniversary. They would point out the constellations they knew, and they both went through a phase of actually mapping the stars. They spent the night calling out the names of the stars and arguing on who was right. It was peaceful. Neither knew what would soon take place.


	2. The Princess and the Beggar Boy: Part 2

"Chat? Chat?" Ladybug called, running through the park. "Chat!" No one answered. She frowned. He had promised to be here. He should have been there by now. Oh well. He was probably running a little late. After all, when Parisians turned fifteen they had to go through training to help find the job best suited for them. She obviously had to skip it, as she was the princess- but no one had to know that. She pulled up the baked goods and hid them in the hidden compartment.

She waited. And waited. The sun, which had originally been directly above the palance, was now to the side, almost disappearing behind the flowered hills. Why was he this late? She had been in the treehouse, slowly diminishing the amount of food she had left. He had not shown up at all. If he had come at a different time, he would have left a note for her. If he had found out that morning that something had come up, he would have written that down, too. Where could he be? She sighed, disappointed. He said that by the end of the day he would have big news. He seemed excited. He told her, after lots of begging, that he didn't know exactly what the news was. She guessed that it would be his assignment. Maybe he had run late? Yes, that had to be it. She would not let negative thoughts cloud her mind. No, certainly he was fine. He wasn't exactly careful… but he knew his limits and how to take care of himself. Maybe his mom was sick? What if- no. Stop it. She scolded herself. How silly would she feel when tomorrow he shows up, bouncing on his toes, telling her that he had found the perfect job for him? He would be okay. _He would be okay_. It hung like a mantra in her head. He would be okay.

The next morning, she was walking to breakfast when she heard it. The cursed words that shattered what she had hoped. It killed the hope of Chat's well-being.

"The Incurable Plague took more lives yesterday. It strikes without notice or noticeable symptoms! Twenty more have been reported dead, in Paris alone. Five of them were children. Your Majesty, what shall we do?" An advisor was talking to her father. She froze. No. No, no, no, no. He couldn't-no. He would be fine. He wouldn't be dead. He couldn't be. He had been fine the day before- but what had the advisor said? " _It strikes without warning nor noticeable symptoms_. Five of them were children," he had claimed. This was the only reasonable explanation for his absence. Marinette felt sick. She turned and ran to her room. She knew she would not be able to stomach food any time soon.

"Marinette? Girl, are you okay?" the voice called.

"Alya…come in…" Alya did as she was bidden and entered the room to find a sobbing Marinette. She said nothing, just hugged her friend. The only sound in the room was Marinette's quiet crying. No questions were asked, only comfort was found. Marinette was grieving something important to her, and what it was didn't matter to Alya. Alya simply hugged her, holding her close because right now that was the only thing that she could do for friend. She knew Marinette would find no cheer in pastries or in games; her reasoning as affirmed as Marinette cried harder next to her. In that moment, no words were needed, because all the words could be heard with no true verbal statements: I am here, and what you need is a friend to listen and to understand. You are safe here. It will all be alright in the end. These silent comforts slowly eased Marinette's crying. Alya let her pull away. No words were needed or said. They sat in silence. Alya asked Marinette if she could go to dinner. Marinette nodded, pulling herself together. Alya went to the kitchen to fetch some ice cubes as Marinette got dressed. Marinette gave her a grateful smile as Alya helped use the ice cubes to reduce the swelling of her eyes. Soon, the puffy redness was gone, and there was little sign of her distress. She composed herself and got through dinner without a meltdown. No one but Alya even had a single suspicion as to something was wrong.

That night, she continued to mourn his absence. And though Marinette no longer cried, the heavy weight of Chat Noir's loss was weighing like an iron anvil on her mind. She thought about it all the day, but she found the happiest memories and clung to them like a drowning sailor to a piece of driftwood. She saw young children play soccer as she once had with Chat Noir, and then watched as a girl patted the head of her friend, who had taken a fall while playing. She smiled softly to herself, and felt tears prick at her eyes, but she stopped them, because she knew Chat Noir had never wanted her to cry, and most especially not about him.

Suddenly, she realized, as she watched a boy enjoy a pastry his mother had bought, that everything in sight seemed to remind her of Chat Noir, reminded her of all the good things that she had lost. While wandering the streets, she noticed a black blur at the edge of her vision. Having nothing better to do than sulk, she followed it. The creature jumped under someone's porch steps. She knelt down, peering into the darkness. All she could see were two emerald orbs.

She felt tears prick her eyes, remembering her friend. She patted the ground a few times. The creature jumped into her lap, and she smiled. She softly pet the cat. She felt her tears recede. She hugged that cat closer to her heart, and the cat made no protest to her gentle touch. She felt the cat purr softly. She smiled. Too soon, someone else came along to disturb the peaceful calm in her heart and in the air. It was a mother calling her children back inside of the house. The cat leapt out her her arms wildly and ran off into the night. The children, who had been on their way to the door, started yelling at it and shooing it away. She couldn't contain it. Maybe it was her sadness from the day and finally feeling like she had something again, and then feeling the jarring touch of loss that made her snap at the children.

"What gives you the right? That cat is a living being, just like you. Would you like it if you were minding your own business and someone yelled at you to go away? The cat was here first. Why- how could you do that? He is obviously scared of you. That means you have been tormenting him for a while now. How could you do that to a creature that has never caused you any harm?" she yelled. The children scurried inside, wanting to escape the wrath of the crazy girl. They had no answer and their mother started to yell back, something about disrespect, but Marinette could not bring herself to listen.

"You know what's disrespectful? The fact that they have terrorized that poor creature. In the name of France, ensure that they never scare him away again. Do you understand me?" Her voice was quiet now, dangerous. Her eyes held the fury of a warrior. The mother glared back but with less intensity.

"And what power do you have? Look down, you are nothing but a beggar. What gives you the right to come up here and yell at my boys? What gives you the right to-"

"I am a human being too, and you will show me some respect. To you it might just be a cat, but it is more than that. Leave it alone." She had no idea what she was doing, nor what she was saying. She had never really stood up to anyone before. She also had no clue as to why she was so passionate about this cat. Nevertheless, she didn't back down. The woman had nothing else to say, so she rolled her eyes and slammed the door. As soon as the door closed, the cat ran out of the bush and rubbed against Marinette's leg. She smiled. She picked it up and it purred. Plagg. That was a fitting name for such an adorable feline. Plagg started to bat at her her hair as she walked through the streets.

She knew she couldn't keep Plagg in the palace, so she opted to keep him near the treehouse. At first she was worried at how he would get up and down, but the clever little cat managed to find a way. She spent hours searching for her friend. Maybe his mom had been sick? Maybe she had assumed the worst. But he had yet to show up or leave a note. Maybe he had left the country? She spent lots of time coming up with what-if situations. Most of them could be toppled with one question: If he was alive, why hadn't he told her?

"Adrien Agreste, you have the honour to be drafted as a palace guard. We expect you to be packed and have said your goodbyes to your family in ten minutes. If you try to escape, there will be consequences. Know that you are lucky to have a position and be proud." Adrien had just answered the door, expecting it to be the milkman. Instead… he was being drafted. He would not be able to leave the palace after he move in, he knew. It was for a very practical reason, not malicious. It was because people deserted all the time. It was an extra step to ensure the safety of the royals. He turned to his mother, who had been standing behind him. She hugged him. She was speechless-never in a million years had she thought that her son-her precious, beautiful son-would be drafted. Next time she would see him, at best, would be in a few years on a holiday break-but only if he had risen the ranks high enough. She held back the tears, trying to be strong for him. When she let go, he numbly walked to his 'room'- a corner of the house with blankets hanging from the ceiling-and started packing. Soon, he heard one of the guards softly warn his mother.

"He has three minutes left. We can push it to four, but he is the last today and we need to get back." Adrien thought he could hear his mom nod in understanding and thankfulness. After gathering his possessions in a bag, he pushed aside the blankets and headed to his mom. He embraced her again. He whispered in her ear and she nodded.

"It will be okay. It will all be okay." He had heard from Ladybug that if you repeat something to yourself enough times, it would come true. Oh no. What about Ladybug? He had no way to warn her or to communicate with her. He couldn't exactly tell his mom to tell Ladybug, as neither woman would recognize the other. This was one of the many reasons he felt they should've know each other's real names. He heard someone clear their throat, and his mother pulled away. Her blond hair shone in the dying light of the setting sun and her smile was almost bittersweet.

"Now you have a chance that I could never give you. You have the chance for something more than this." She gestured to her surroundings. They had barely been scraping by after his siblings had left, abandoning the pair on the streets. In the two months before he met Ladybug, he had stopped eating lunch and dinner so his mother could have food. She tried to get him to stop, but he refused to eat it. He told Ladybug he was an only child because he was, in a sense. They had left their brother and mother, leaving them to fend for themselves. Their mother had returned years ago and they had insisted on paying her rent while they all lived together. But then, his siblings just left. Felix had been the last to go of the three. He had been the only one to say goodbye. Now Adrien had to leave his mom. He knew that as a guard they would make sure she was taken care of. He didn't want to leave her, but it was the only real way to support her. He felt a tear roll down his face.

"Goodbye."

My friend- let's call her Tater- is helping me with this story. So, thank you to her for editing! She is the reason Plagg even exists here. Also, thank you to my sister, who has also been helping me edit and is judging my spelling right now.I have a few friends who are reading this online and… s…. Hello... Thank you for reading. If anyone can help me create a better summary…please help.

This is also my first fanfic so please be patient with me. I do not have a real updating schedule but I hope I can update weekly? I also changed a few things last chapter. Some spellings and punctuation mistakes were fixed (screaming into the void), I rephrased something about Alya and I added another paragraph near the end. I was re-reading the chapter and I noticed that I claimed Chat would bring something to the party and he didn't. So I made him bring ladybugs and fireflies.

Your reviews literally make my day. They also let me freak out. CeceTheFandomQue called them "cinnamon rolls" and YES BLESS YOU! I know it is because they already know the characters but I am glad I wrote them well enough to have the title. Guest used a ;) and let me tell you, I was freaking out all day because I thought that was someone that I knew.


	3. The Princess and the Guard: Part 1

"Please no. Just please no."

"Sweetie, we know you don't want to get married. But you are still a princess, and unfortunately, that means that you will have to get married soon. We have put this off for too long, you know that. You were technically supposed to have suitors come around last winter. Honey, we don't want to force you to marry, but that is what is expected for royalty. We have to make personal sacrifices." Marinette's mother patted her on the shoulder sympathetically. She had not wanted to marry either, but she had found that not all of her suitors were bad. Some of them, like her husband Tom, were kinder than they appeared.

It had been two years since Chat's death. She still missed him, like one would miss an amputated arm. Yet she had learned to live with it. One time, a servant had asked her if she wanted red or green ribbons, she turned to look for her friend-only to be disappointed. "Green. Make them green," she had said softly. The servant only nodded and walked off, unsure how to help the princess. Another time, someone had made a comment on how the Plague was a counting death toll, and how unfortunate it was that their people were dying. They sat up even straighter-if that was possible-and noted how lucky they were that only the lower classes were dying. Marinette glared and was turning red in the face. She quickly excused herself, ran to her room, and screamed into her goose-down pillows. She was secretly pleased when later she received news that the man had been fired.

Missing Chat was one reason she didn't want to wed. Another was that- well, she didn't want to. She disliked the tradition of marrying off the women in the family, but it was the price of her life. She had a good lifestyle, she knew, and she knew she would give in eventually, but for now she was trying her best to say no. Alya nodded in understanding, and teased her about already having a crush. This always amused Marinette, somehow more than she was sad, at the fact that she hadn't spoken to a male other than family of her own accord since Chat. She had stopped playing games with the children long ago. They had since moved on to new types of games, less childish ones. She now spent her days being the best princess she could, instead of pretending and sneaking out. Every once in a while, though, she would escape her normal life, assuming the identity Ladybug. She would go out and help others, because she felt that one day someone had to mention something about Chat. After his death, she had quickly learned that people have loose lips if they are working alongside you. Sometimes people would insist she take money or food in return, and every once in a while she couldn't say no. Instead of using or eating it herself, she left whatever was gathered in their treehouse. Leaving things in memory of Chat seemed like the right thing to do.

An entire week went by before her parents reluctantly brought it up again. She knew they didn't want to force her into anything, but they couldn't change the traditions of the world. The country would be viewed differently, making a statement they couldn't fully know the outcome of. No, they all knew it was safer for her to marry.

That was why her parents didn't say anything about that aspect of her marriage. When they walked into her room, after politely knocking, they attempted to make small talk. She knew the purpose of their visit, however. King Tom took a breath, but before he could speak his daughter interrupted him.

"Fine," was all she said. There was a silence.

"How long? Until the suitors come, I mean."

"Well…in two weeks, maybe? If we make it known, then we know princes will come quickly. The more time you drag it out, the more will probably actually come. At least, that's what happened for me." Her mother spoke from experience. Marinette nodded. She steeled herself for what she knew would come, and hugged her parents. They smiled at her, seeing nobody had anything more to say, and left her alone in her thoughts.

She did not feel ready for this. Even if she did want to get married, it seemed too early. She knew already that while the suitors were there she would have a very stressful life. Pressured by the guests and countrymen, she would be expected to choose someone that would be a good alliance and she got along with, who would help her rule France well. She knew the requirements- when she was nine she had been educated on her future responsibilities. She and Chat Noir had found that hilarious- in the beginning, she always seemed responsible, but when you actually got to know her, she was careless. She thought things out and calculated her risks- but she was bad at math. Whenever Chat thought she had miscalculated her risks and possibilities, he would say, "How's your math going?" and she would roll her eyes good-naturedly while they would both laugh. She frowned. She missed her friend, but she needed to focus on her duties right now. She could throw a pity party later.

It was customary for countries to hold balls and parties, inviting other princes or princesses as a social event. It also ensured more people left happily, and with spouses. Marinette had opted out of (read: escaped) the ones she had been eligible for, so hers would be her first. She didn't know exactly how it would work-she just knew that she would have to be careful. She had no idea what type of people might come, or how kind they might be. She sighed, dreading the future. She shook her head. If Chat had taught her anything, it had been to live in the present, not wasting type with what-ifs. Then, you would miss the time you could have been really preparing or relaxing on worrying and useless thinking. One still had to plan and think ahead- but he had taught her that if you think too hard it wastes too much time. She would just have to calm herself and make use of her precious time.

"Can I keep him? Please? I will take care of him, I promise." Marinette begged, holding the creature in her arms. "Cats help eliminate stress, you know. I'll be under a lot tomorrow and for however long it takes for them to leave, so can I _please_?" Her parents considered for a long moment, and her heart sank. Her disappointment must have been evident on her face, and she started to turn away. Her parents hastily spoke up.

"Yes-as long as you take care of everything he needs. Keep him in your room, though, please. Alright?" They watched as their daughter's face lit up. She nodded brightly and smiled. She carefully set the cat down, and her parents almost called put, telling her to be cautious with the cat. There was no need, however, as the cat decided not to destroy anything and he followed at her heels, purring. They were taken aback by the loyalty and focus of the tiny creature, plus the lack of destructive traits. Queen Sabine was the first to turn away and walk to their offices. King Tom watched the cat weave between Marinette's feet, impressed by her well polished ability to walk without tripping even while the cat nearly twined himself around her legs. She turned the corner and he turned, following his wife. He didn't understand how she had bonded with the cat so quickly, but he didn't really care to question it further. "Everyone has their secrets," he mused.

After giving an obligatory pet to Plagg, Marinette walked to her closet and opened it up. Plagg unhappily jumped off her bed and rubbed against her feet. She ignored him, however, and he moved back to the bed. She grabbed one of her nicer dresses, a green one, with sparkles aplenty. She put it on and glanced at her mirror. The gems and sequins caught the light, leaving green tints all over her dress. Somehow, it looked good. The castle dress-makers and maids had noticed her sudden like for the colour green over her previous red, and they had changed everything accordingly. She felt a small wistfulness when she saw the colour, but after a few months, most of the pain had faded away. She had resolved to only think of her happy memories when she saw the colour, and somehow it had worked.

Today was the day. Notices had been sent out, kingdoms alerted. Today princes would arrive, and her life would become harder. She sighed and picked up Plagg. He licked her face, sensing her unhappiness. There was nothing she could do, as her people and surrounding countries would expect this of her. She practised a neutral expression, trying to erase the signs of a scowl. Maybe the key was trying to find the positive in this situation. Yes; she would soon get it all over with- it would soon be done. And hey, maybe the guys wouldn't be half bad. She hoped so, at least. She wondered if she could make friends with the women who would arrive.

"What do you mean? You have never been to a Ball of Grás before? You've gotta be kidding me." Chloé asked in disbelief. She was of a noble family in France. She was unsurprisingly the first to arrive, as her mansion was only a few miles away. Marinette was slightly shocked at the thought that a girl her age had been living so close, yet she had never met, but after a few minutes, Marinette understood a little. Chloé was- how to say it… Chloé was spoiled. She was nice enough, but every few minutes she would say something random that implied the fact. She talked on and on about the extravagant presents she received from her father, and how much they were worth, and how much her friends envied her. She had a sharp voice at times, and a blunt personality, but she still had a heart. Marinette coaxed a kinder side out of her, but trying to dial down her rants about servants who 'misbehaved' and tried to make the girl realize how they might feel in the situations where she had lost her temper. Marinette wasn't sure if Chloe was heeding her words or humouring her, but she had tried her best. When she heard Alya's name announced as the next guest, she quickly made a polite excuse for why she might need to leave, and found someone else for Chloe to talk to. Marinette vaguely saw Jannet, the woman who she'd asked to entertain Chloe, be ignored in favor of Chloe's servent Sabrina.

Alya walked confidently into the halls. The castle was someplace she visited often. She regarded the rules reverently, but she was comfortable in her surroundings. Alya looked around the room as she walked, looking at the extravagant decor of armor and clothes. Marinette ran to her, suddenly aware of how heavy her dress now felt and the click of her heels on the marble floor. Alya turned toward her and followed suit. They ran and hugged each other- or that's what they tried to do. They had perfected how to slow down and hug years previous, when they were bored to tears with what the adults were discussing. When they were allowed to see each other, they would enthusiastically meet and play. They had both learned how to run in their heels. Marinette was especially skilled, as she always ran off to meet Chat Noir. Today, however, was different. Marinette's dress was heavier, and it took her longer to stop herself. Alya ran into her, and they both toppled sideways- right into a suit of armour. After the initial shock wore off, they laughed hysterically.

"I was going to ask how well you were holding up, but now I know for myself." Alya giggled. Neither were badly hurt. They had run into one of the smaller suits and had landed more on top of it than been crushed. Slowly and with little shots of pain, they untangled themselves from the suit and each other to give proper greetings. Alya looked Marinette up and down.

"You need to fix your hair. I'll do it." Marinette looked at her gratefully. Doing each other's hair was a long-favourite tradition, but today Marinette had need for it. No one else would be there but Chloe for a few more hours, so Alya could take her time. They had messy hair and wrinkled clothing from their fall, and unfortunately, both would need to look presentable. Marinette sighed with the realization of how she would now always have to get properly ready for the day before breakfast, as others would be there. It wouldn't be hard if they were there for a few days, no, but for weeks or months? She would struggle to remember. Alya seemed to read her mind.

"From now on, you'll need to actually wake yourself up before breakfast." Alya teased as Marinette swatted her arm playfully. Their laughter filled the halls, and it echoed throughout the castle. Some of the guards and servants smiled, knowing the pair were roaming the halls somewhere or other. Marinette had made friends with quite a few of them, and her laughter was contagious.

Marinette sat down as Alya brushed her hair gently. They lapsed into a soft silence for a while, until Alya spoke.

"If you need someone to bail you out of an uncomfortable situation, I am here to help. We need a signal."

"How about crossing my arms?"

"No, that looks too hostile and unapproachable." Alya might have been young, but she was preceptive.

"You have a point there. Hmm… how about I step on their foot? Hey, that hurt!" Alya smiled at Marinette, not at all remorseful about hitting her friends head with the brush. Marinette couldn't help but laugh. She knew she would get some response of the sort out of Alya, and both girls found it hilarious. When Marinette had time to breathe and look into the mirror, she noticed that Alya had finished her hair. She had a crown of braids framing her face and no loose hairs existed.

"My turn!" Marinette said happily.

"Oh no, not today. You see, I am better at doing my own hair-albeit it's a little messy- better than you can do anyones. You can't argue with me there." Alya laughed. Marinette tried to look offended, but that was difficult with the smile that she couldn't stop that spread across her face. Alya was right, she couldn't argue.

"Fine," she finally relented. She watched Alya as she meticulously french braided her own hair. Normally she would be permitted to mess around with her hair, but they had to look neat. A servant named Claire knocked on the door, warning them that soon they would have to go to the throne room.

Marinette sighed. Her parents never liked the throne room much. It was all so formal when they were not, and they were rarely seen there. They had people to talk to, paperwork to fill out, and a daughter to raise- they didn't need to sit on some stupid thrones and waste time. Marinette didn't like waiting for guests there, as she was supposed to be ready at any moment for others to arrive. She had to be attentive, but there was a large time estimate in which they might arrive. She would be sitting for minutes or hours for someone to walk in, and the worst was when they didn't arrive at all. Alya looked at her understandingly, knowing her dread. Marinette opened the door and let Alya through, and started to inquire about Claire's family as they walked to the throne room. Claire stood by the door and Alya sat to the right side of the family. Marinette continued to walk and sat on her throne, left of her father. She leaned forward to see Alya, but the royal advisor in the room, Nadja, looked disapprovingly at her. She quickly sat back in good posture. Ever so slowly, she slouched again. Inch by inch she got lower until she was shot another exasperated look. Again, she sat back up. She didn't have much time to slouch, however, because the guests had arrived. She put on the brightest smile she could as the announcement came from Harold, informing them that everyone had arrived together. As strange and confusing as that seemed to Marinette, her parents seemed to find it natural. She consciously stopped fiddling with her dress. The doors opened and the trio stood in sync. Her eyes searched the crowd. It hurt her eyes a little to look at all of the shiny jewels and medals. Everyone was in some expensive garb of the higher class. Men and women alike filed into the room, filling the space. Her father started to give a speech, and she zoned out. She searched the crowd-who, she had no clue-and her eyes fell on one person in particular. His hair was blue with black tips, and she seemed to gravitate towards him. She caught the last few sentences of her father's welcome address.

"You shall be escorted to your rooms by a servant. We will see you all at the ball tonight!" he said enthusiastically. Marinette watched as the guests were escorted through different doors. She watched the blue-haired boy leave the room.

Authors Note: When I was writing the first paragraph, I wrote "She missed him, like one would miss an aputeded arm." If you can't tell, my spelling is _atrocious_ … Tater will never let me live this down. Also, you will notice the Ball is called the "Ball of Grás". I looked up the Gaelic word for love because why not? and I found the word Grá. I showed it to one of my sisters and she pointed out that they are in France. Gras (pronounced the same as Grá) is French for "fat". I SHOULD KNOW THIS AS MARDI GRAS IS MY MOM'S FAVORITE HOLIDAY. Seriously, I am sooo dumb. I changed it to Grás at my sisters' request. I hope you guys find my blunders as funny as I find them. If anyone has any suggestions, I only have vague outlines of how this will work out, so I am open to ideas (this is also why I am a slow updater). Thanks for reading!


	4. The Princess and the Guard: Part 2

Authors Note: I am so sorry I continued to write and I wanted to write Adrien's PoV and then.. Idk sorry. So It's going to be Adrien's PoV a week before Mari's last chapter. Then it's gonna jump but you should be able to tell (hopefully).

-A week before Marinette's PoV-

Adrien was fifteen, and receiving a tour of the palace. He looked about in wonder, studying the grand rooms. He tried his best to create a mental map, but he knew it was flawed. He had only ever lived in a small house, never one with such immaculate tidiness and room. The guard was with him, explaining what his duties would be-for now, he would just be training-and failing at trying to be friendly. The guard turned around abruptly, startling Adrien.

"Ladybug thinks you're dead," was the simple statement. Adrien looked to the left, watching the scene of a small girl crying in their treehouse, calling his name. Not Chat Noir-here she knew he was Adrien.

"Where are you? Adrien, why did you have to die?" she asked the wind. Adrien looked back at the guard, his once forgotten rage and dread rising in his throat. He needed to tell her he was okay! He stood up, and fell. He tried to call out to her, but found he couldn't speak. The guard laughed at him, amused at his failure. Mocking the fact he couldn't stop the girl's wailing, or help ease her suffering. He wasn't worth her tears, he thought, as he started to shed his own. And then, Adrien woke up.

His recurring dream haunted him, making him wonder where Ladybug might be. At first he had been kept busy with training, but then guilt set in, jarring him out of his average life and mood. He had a feeling sometimes at random moments that he was being missed. Whether it was Ladybug or his mother, he did not know. He missed her like he was missing a limb. He thought back to his dream, and the real occurences of the dreamed day had been boring. Most of the dream was based on his actual memory. The guard had been unfriendly, and he had been amazed with the space. The guard whose name he had still yet to learn had never turned to say anything about Ladybug. He had no way to contact her.

He had thought of asking if he could send a letter, but a few guards he spoke to informed him that it was unlikely to go anywhere. They were in a special unit, and their distractions were supposed to be minimized.

He turned to Nino, one of the guards and his now best friend. He was awake somehow, staring at the ceiling.

"Pst! Nino!" Adrien called from his bunk bed. They were both on the top of their bunk beds, so they could speak without bothering the two below them. Sound didn't travel well in their chambers.

"What's up?"

"Why can't you sleep?"

"I'm thinking, Adrien. You should learn to do that every once in a while." They both muffled their laughter. Adrien seemed to always been the patient and cautious one. He used to be more rash, but after training he had become slightly more serious. Though, that might have been an aftereffect of no longer having Ladybug egg him on. Still, between them, he was more cautious.

"Why do you think we were chosen to be in the Guards of France?" Nino asked. Adrien had learned that the normal guards were allowed their own lives outside the palace, but he had been recruited for a special unit. They were guards closer to the royal family. There had recently been rumors that Adrien and Nino were to be promoted soon, and he hoped that was the case. WIth the higher rank, he could finally visit his mother, and explain everything to Ladybug.

"We were chosen at random, I think. I mean, no one here has that much in common. We were likely just hurried replacements for guards who died of the plague. We are all lucky that the royals found the cure." A long silence ensued.

After the plague had devastated so many, the royals themselves decided to attempt to cure it. There was a story about how princess Marinette had waltzed in the room one day and had barely glanced at the data before she miraculously found the cure. It turned out, the cure had been made of plants that were common around France. Everyone tried to make a commotion about her fixing the problem so easily, but Marinette had hidden away for a while- at least until the praise calmed down. The French people still felt like they were in debt to her, but knew she wouldn't like it if they kept openly praising her. People still discussed it on the streets, but it wasn't mentioned to the princess herself.

Adrien remembered when he was Chat Noir and had taught some of the plants and their properties to Ladybug. She had listened attentively, and helped him pick some of the herbs and flowers. They amassed lots of healing plants because they got hurt surprisingly often. They had a system where whenever the other was hurt, they would run to get a plant from the treehouse and bring some back to wherever the other was injured. Adrien had become a lot faster over their time together. Though they both got hurt often, she damaged herself more forcefully. She used to tell him tales of the lies she wove to explain injuries to her parents and friends. Some of them were really entertaining.

He was especially grateful to her, because she saved his mother. His mother had just gotten sick, and he couldn't spend all his time with her because he had to work for both of them. He was also warned that she had to be quarantined, but he had ignored that. He would've likely gotten sick too, if it had not been for the princess. He guessed that if this was karma- his job in service to her and her family- it wasn't the worst way it could have ended up.

Nino didn't speak for a while. The room was quiet, in a peaceful way. Adrien thought that Nino had fallen asleep, until Nino suddenly spoke.

"You know, next week the Grás Ball is going to start. Are you going to attend?"

"We have the option to?" Adrien hadn't known that.

"Yeah, our unit is allowed to. So, you gonna go?" Nino inquired.

"I dunno. I don't see much of a point."

"A break from the job, maybe?"

"I'm fine as I am." Adrien answered confidently.

"Yeah, sure, sure. How about emotional support for me?"

"You just want me to go. Why?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Nino replied innocently.

"You just want to be able to tease me, that's why." Adrien realized.

"Maybe, maybe not." Nino replied with an obvious smile in his voice.

"Probably not, to be honest. Again, there is no benefit."

"Hmm. Ok." Nino replied. "Adrien? G'night."

"Night." Adrien said softly. Nino turned over, and soon the sound of his soft snores filled the room. There was a peacefulness that filled the room and comforted Adrien. Soon afterwards, Adrien drifted off to a dreamless sleep too.

In the morning, they were woken up earlier than normal. They quickly got dressed and reported for duty. Their captain, Mr. D'Argencourt, was waiting for them.

"Nino, Adrien." His voice was not as sharp as usual. "Promotion. Nino, you are guarding the doors today," he turned a little to Adrien, "Adrien will be guarding the dining hall. That's all." He handed the pair their badges as the two sent each other glances of excitement and walked quickly to their destinations. They were randomly assigned every day to random parts of the castle. Adrien had never guarded the dining hall, however. He guessed it was a high-security job.

When he walked into the room, the cooks were placing breakfast on the table. He stood by the door, trying not to betray his emotions. With his promotion, he would finally be able to speak to his mother, and to Ladybug! He forced himself to appear emotionless as the king and queen walked in. They greeted him with simultaneous nods and smiles. After he bowed, he attempted to recreate a similar expression, and hoped he hadn't messed up. He looked around, and noticed the absence of the princess.

He'd never seen or met her, like most Parisians. She only appeared outside of the castle on very, very important days. Nobody quite knew what she did with her time- well, except for stopping plagues. Adrien guessed that she spent time outside of the castle often, as she had known what the plants were. When she entered, time stopped for him.

Her hair was jet black, with blue reflections, and her eyes were bluer than a blue jay's feathers. He couldn't help but stare. She looked- she looked- just like Ladybug. He kept his face impassive, sure that it must have been a mistake. No way had she been Ladybug! She had to have been busy around the castle, she wouldn't have had time to run outside with some random kid. She spoke, apologizing for her tardiness. Her voice- it was similar. No. she must have had other engagements.

Ladybug- Ladybug would have been taller by now. And her voice wasn't that similar. Ladybug's was an octave or two higher. And now that he had time to think about it, her hair was a cascade of waves, instead of Ladybug's straight. No, he decided, she was not Ladybug. There were too many differences. He nodded slightly, reassuring himself.

He stood throughout breakfast, and once they left he was allowed to eat. The room was deserted, so it was just him and the bread. Naturally, he stuffed his face for a few minutes and then went back to his station. He looked at the opposite door, leading to the garden.

He looked outside the window next to him and observed a few ladybugs on the gardenia tree right outside the window. He watched intently, wondering why so many were on the tree, and why they were hitting the glass. All of a sudden, they flew to the other side of the building, where the door leading to the gardens was. He was startled when the door next to him was abruptly opened and a giggling princess ran through.

She was laughing maniacally, and he didn't have words. He didn't know how to express it. She giggled as she twirled through the room, maneuvering around chairs. He was concerned because she almost ran into the door, but she hit it with her hip to open it and ran into the gardens.

WIth the sun on her hair, it looked blue. He noticed ladybugs- possibly the ones he had been watching earlier- follow her and land on her hands. She stopped her twirling and held them in her hands, studying them. She looked like the subjects in Mr. Disney's paintings, but she was 3-D and not altered by the royal artist's imagination. That was the last he saw, because then the door shut.

He stood, wondering why she might have been in such a rush. He knew she and Alya were friends, as he had heard their laugher before. So might she have been playing a game with Alya? He was startled when a cat ran through… what? The black feline ran past Adrien, almost faster than his eye could perceive. The cat then continued to run right at the door, into a section of wood paneling- which opened up to the outdoors.

"Plagg! I knew you'd find me, with your wittle smol toebeans!" Marinette babytalked. He turned to the door beside him, confused. He pushed the panel that the cat, apparently named Plagg, had jumped through. He had never noticed the hinges, as they had been hidden with ornate floral designs. He released the flap and it silently shut. He rushed back to his post when Marinette ran back inside, chasing Plagg. The two ran quickly and she gave him a joyful smile.

He smiled through his confusion. He liked being posted here. It was nice. Once the day ended, he reported back and met Nino there. There were both excited, and they chatted happily as they worked their way back to meet the rest of their units for dinner. Adrien didn't tell Nino about the princess's sudden appearance, only that the royal family had been there. Nino told him about his day, and his observations from the doors.

When they got to their chambers, they found the other guards. Kim, a young man who'd volunteered to be a guard after being convinced by his 'just friend' named Alix, was quick to ask about their promotions. They proudly showed off their badges. Kim had gotten his promotion a week prior, but no one had been overly envious. In due time, they'd all get their chances to prove themselves. The was lots of congratulatory talk and some people expressed that they hoped to be promoted next. Someone asked Kim if he had received and news from the outside world, and he brightened up.

"Yes I have! I'm lucky that I got promoted so quickly." He was new to their unit, having only been there for six months. To be fair, though, he had trained with a retired guard before joining. Everyone waited expectantly for him to continue his thoughts. He paused for a moment, debating. Nino was surprisingly perceptive.

"It was from Alix, wasn't it?" inquired a smug Nino. THey all gasped obnoxiously as Kim turned a little pink.

"Yes." he replied cautiously.

"What'd she say?"

"You don't deserve my news," Kim declared, purposely trying to sound childish.

"Please, bro? We'll be nice," Nino promised.

"I see your fingers crossed, all of you. I am one of you, I know the tricks." Kim smiled smugly.

"Fine," Nino said in a theatrically resigned voice, uncrossing his fingers with the others.

"Your toes," Kim stated. Nino looked at Adrien as they all simultaneously uncrossed their toes.

"The news. Now, please." Requested one of the older members, who refused to answer to anything except for "Mouse", despite his tank-like build.

"Well, the plague has died out. And my family is doing very well."

"Duh, Kim. Come on, get to the substance."

"What substance?" Kim asked in an innocent voice.

"Show us the letter." Mouse demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Nuh-uh, no way," Kim shot back quickly. Adrien smiled. So there was substance.

"Did you receive any other letters?" asked Adrien. He wanted to help the poor boy out- Kim looked like a cornered animal.

"Yeah I got mail from my brother, my sister, and my mom. They all said basically the same thing- they are all well, and they hope I am too. My mom kept saying she was proud, my sister never stopped writing about how she misses me, and my brother wrote like three sentences." Kim smiled sincerely at Adrien. "How about we go get dinner, huh?" He asked the rest of the group. They all begrudgingly nodded.

Dinner flew by, with talk of the upcoming ball and teasing each other. THe others kept trying to find something to make fun of Adrien for, but they could never find anything of worth. Adrien found it hilarious. Still, he liked it better when he had been with Ladybug and she had known everything worth knowing. He smiled softly. She had been his best friend, and soon he would be able to see her again. FInally, he would be able to send letters. Next promotion, he'd get to leave for a day or two. He could leave a note at the treehouse, and then- then it would all be good again.

He had no doubts about her still visiting the treehouse. She probably visited often to check for a sign. He assumed that she knew he was alive and well. He didn't know why, but he had hope for that.

Some of the others caught his smile, and someone muttered something about lovesickness. Adrien simply rolled his eyes. Yes, he had had a crush on her, but that had ended as they got older, he was sure. She might have even liked him back at some point, but it didn't matter now. Nothing would have happened. He tuned back into the conversation of the table, and was quiet. He wondered what Ladybug was doing at that moment.

Unbeknownst to him, she was in the gardens, running with her cat Plagg. Unbeknownst to him, she was wondering what he would have been like if he had been able to grow older. Unbeknownst to him, she was missing him, just like he missed her.

But he didn't know and of that. He simply sat at the table, occasionally laughing after a joke one of his friends made. Somehow, even in the crowd, he felt a little alone.

Adrien woke up to the sound of muffled voices. It was still very, very dark outside. He felt energized, somehow. He sat up. There weren't rules about the guards wandering the castle at night, so he wasn't worried. Plus, he could always pretend to sleepwalk. One of his friends might see him, but whatever. It wasn't the first time he had taken a midnight stroll through the castle.

He stayed in the shadows, despite him confidence. Some of the windows were open, letting in the cool night air. He wandered the castle, and found himself in the gardens.

He had been sent to guard the gardens once. He hadn't seen much, though. The light of the full moon was enough to illuminate the area. The moonlight on the flowers made them more beautiful than they were in daytime. The light was softer and comforting to Adrien. He knew Ladybug had always preferred night to day.

He looked at the blooming flowers, each one so small. He reached the sun garden, and he strolled through it. There were metal arches, and they had designed in them, so that when the sun shone on them it would send shadows to the floor. The moon gave some of the patterns light, but not many. After all, they were made for the sun. Adrien heard soft singing, coming from the small building behind him. He couldn't quite disconcern the words, but it was soft, sad, and caring. He opened the door sightly to see who it was.

It was Princess Marinette. She was sitting on a desk, and bending wires with twine to create patterns. She more murmured the words than sang, but her voice was enchanting. He tore his eyes from her and looked at the open roof of the building. It was covered with the small metal threads. She continued to sing, and he quietly and hastily closed the door. He didn't want to spy on her or anything.

He speed walked out of the gardens, only slowing when he saw a few ladybugs zip by and attempt to reach the room he had just been in. He now looked back and saw the sign "Moon Garden" on the side. He paused as he watched the ladybugs fly in the top of the building and disappear. Why were there so many ladybugs here?

He went directly back to the guard chambers and attempted to fall asleep. He couldn't. He stayed awake for a while, thinking back to the moon garden. He finally drifted off to sleep due to exhaustion.

When Adrien woke up the next morning, he got dressed and reported for duty. He would be guarding the gardens. Adrien patrolled near the Moon Room, but he never entered the room. Nino bugged him about going to the ball, as they had been stationed together. Adrien finally gave in, promising, "I will go to the ball one time." He hoped he could figure out a loophole somewhere so he could weasel out of it, but he had to go upstairs at least one time.

The week flew by, and it was the night before the ball. Most of the guests had arrived, and they had been verified as safe. Adrien was in charge of escorting guests to their rooms. Why they had to come the night before, he didn't understand. He caught a glimpse of the princess observing the crowd, her eyes raking over their heads impassively.

He had to escort three women and two men to their rooms. The small group was filled with arrogance. Adrien thought of the one insult that Felix, his brother had come up with while defending him from the older children- "if I wanted to die, I'd jump from your ego to your IQ." He felt that would be a fitting insult with the crowd he was with. Everyone had their names on their doors, so it was simple to find their rooms. He noticed that no one said thank you, or really acknowledged his existence. To them he really only existed to serve them.

The day was rather uneventful. Nino tried to commit Adrien to going to the ball another night, but Adrien ignored the negotiations. Nino backed off after a while and let Adrien be. They joked about random things over dinner.

Twas the day of the ball, and Adrien had the "privilege" to be guarding the ballroom that day. He knew it would be busy in the eventing, but bland during the rest of the day. He sighed, a little annoyed that he was going to the ball. He guessed he could attempt to convince Nino that this would count as attending, but Nino was a little too stubborn for that.

Marinette, on the other hand, was busy all day. She woke up early and got to breakfast on time for once. She was up before her parents, and she was a little proud of that fact. She waited for them, and they arrived with Alya only moments behind. Alya shot her a smirk. The guests were so numerous they would eat in their rooms, but Alya was close enough to family that she ate with them often. The conversation was light that morning, likely in an attempt to calm Marinette's nerves.

They would be greeting everyone attending the ball who were in the castle, and then they would hurry to greet the last few who were later and farther from everyone else. THe ball would last three nights, and most people would leave. It was a big social event, but the suitors for her would stay until she chose or dismissed them. She knew that she could only dismiss someone is they offended her majorly. When she had chosen, there would be masquerade ball.

For now, though, she was stuck sitting on her throne while the guests mingled in random parts of the castle. She worried that Plagg might look for her and scare someone, but there were no signs as of yet. She hoped he would just stay in her room. The ball attendees had better timing, and so they weren't waiting long. Part of the reason for the parties was to show off their wealth, so they would have access to lots of interesting things. The garden seemed to have attracted interest. She only hoped that no one would catch her singing and projects. She needed a keep out sign on that thing, really.

Marinette had started the sun project to fill her days in the summer, when she had time to measure and meticulously shape the wires. It had a beautiful result, but she also wanted to create on for the moon. She created her own designs, and the only people who were supposed to know were her parents. Her parents loved the garden, but no one was there at night. No guards were stationed there, due to the lack of any danger. So she could be alone, working and singing her songs to Chat. Why she felt the need to she didn't know- but singing calmed her and, like so many other things, she sang in honor of Chat. She would hum or sing while she worked. She gave herself the chills sometimes. It always surprised her when inspiration struck.

She sang alone, and she made her own words. Sometimes that helped her thing of possible designs for the moon garden, and sometimes for clothes designs. She worked when she couldn't sleep, and it helped dislodge thoughts from her mind. She smiled. Sometimes Plagg would join her. He could be helpful, sure. He brought things to her. He was way smarter than average cats, to her knowledge, and could be of assistance at times. Others, he would bat things off her worktable, sprawl across her lap for attention, or mew at her until she gave him whatever he wanted. He was really the perfect cat.

After she paid the respectful courtesy to their guests, she gave a tour of the palace. She showed the group around the visitor's floors, and the outside of the castle. The boy with the blue hair joined them, and she had to admit she blushed a bit as they followed her. The group contained about ten partygoers. Some of them had an arrogant air about them, but she tried to be fair in her judgement of them. They hadn't done anything too pompous yet, so she tried to keep a neutral opinion. The only one who seemed kind enough to talk was the blue-haired boy. She learned his name was Luca.

She brought them to the gardens, and everyone seemed very interested in the plant life. She stood by the doors at first, but seeing their reluctance to leave, she wandered farther in. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Luca seemed to watch her a little. She tried to ignore it. She attempted to steer people a little away from the moon garden. She didn't want her in-progress works to be seen, and the room felt private, only for her eyes. She had locked it up, but she still felt insecure sometimes.

After the tour, it was mealtime. She went with her family for lunch, and they ate with Alya. Her parents mostly talked to Alya after notifying her mostly unresponsive state. There wasn't anything really wrong, she just didn't feel like talking. She listened to Alya retell her horror stories from diplomatic missions. RIght after lunch, they had to change for the ball. Her parents left her and Alya alone. Alya simply winked at Marinette as she walked out.

Marinette got ready for the ball. She wore a stunning light green dress with jewels scattered about in constellation patterns. She doubted anyone would notice that little detail, but it was okay by her. She had designed it that way for herself., and no one else She had an emerald necklace and earrings, with rich colours. A stylist named Deirdre (dear-dra) ensured that she looked well-put together, and then did her hair. Her hair was braided expertly. Her hair was the perfect length for braids, she had often been told.

She hurried to the ballroom, and she stood next to her parents. They ushered her behind a door with them. It was a tradition to make their first appearances dramatic. Marinette found it interesting how much thought was put into all of the special effects. The room had comfortable chairs and a tiny one-way window, placed where no one would notice. THey could see all the guests arrive, and then make their entrance from there.

Her mother squealed with excitement. Her father smiled fondly, and they all hugged each other fondly. Her parents released her and they smiled.

"Ohh, honey, it's your first Grás ball! YOu've grown up so fast." Her mother's eyes began to water. Queen Sabine was usually able to keep her emotions at bay, but she had always had a soft spot for her daughter. Crying with pride was not a rare thing for her. Marinette smiled, slightly embarrassed, but still happy. Her father looked out the small window, and gestured for Marinette to look through it too.

She gasped a little when she saw all of the people. She had seen all of them when they had arrived, but the ballroom was huge, and the room was almost filled. There was space for dancing of course, but it was still full. Sabine strategically didn't look out the window and focused on not crying. As her tears started to recede, she hugged her daughter again. Marinette greeted her mother with open arms. She looked out the window again, searching for Alya.

Was that her- oh no, that was the wrong coloured dress…was that her? No, too tall. She searched the edges of the room, knowing Alya would try to make it easy to be seen so she could help calm Marinette's nerves. As predicted, after a few searches around the room she saw Alya. Alya was speaking to a guard that they'd both seen around the castle often. Kim had a common friend, a girl named Alix. Alix had been one of the kids who played soccer with Marinette when she was little. Before she had learned to not obviously be the princess, they had been acquaintances. Alix was competitive, yet kind and compassionate to those who weren't as into the competition when they lost. In other words, she had been very, very kind to Marinette. Alix had met Alya at an art festival in Paris. Alix had been showing her art off and had made some fanart after hearing Alya's play. The two had become good friends over that. Kim liked talking about Alix a lot, and they had brought Kim news from her to him sometimes. Marinette went out of her way to go to areas Alix was as the princess so she could officially get news and not have secret identity problems.

Her attention turned to Alya's dress. Marinette had designed and mostly made it, and she liked it. She had created a theme of astronomy. Alya's dress was inspired by sunsets. It was a masterpiece of blended colours, Marinette had to say. It had been difficult to sew in some parts, but it had been worth it.

Her father called a servant to alert the crier. When Marinette was little, she had thought her job was to cry for people, which confused her to no end. Eventually, it was explained that they announced things. She had spoken to the crier about her misleading title, and the crier admitted that she could cry on command. Marinette had requested the crier teach her how, and attempted to get things to go her way with crying. It didn't work on her parents. It turned out, Marinette was a horrible actress.

Her parents were announced, and they walked out dramatically. It took a little effort to muffle her giggle when Sabine twirled. Marinette knew she had done that just to get a reaction from her, but the crowd seemed to like it as well. King Tom simply laughed.

Marinette tried to calm herself down by breathing. Her name was announced and she walked down the stairs. She almost tripped on the third to last one, but she recovered and copied her mother's twirl at the end to make it seem more natural. No one but her family and Alya noticed. She was aware of Alya's knowledge because Alya started to laugh loudly. The claps mostly muffled the sound, thankfully. Alya got some strange looks, though. Marinette made a mental note to ensure Alya knew she'd heard, just so she could tease her. She stood next to her parents in front of the crowd. There must have been hundreds of them there. It made Marinette nervous, but she knew she'd have Alya and her parents. Her father said a few words, and then the ball began.

Marinette tried to reach Alya quickly, but it was difficult when her path was blocked with people asking if they could have the dance. She didn't want to decline and seem rude, so she spent the first five dances on the dance floor. She always felt she was a little too clumsy for ballroom dancing, but she had practiced and mostly mastered it. She tried to figure out the route she'd take to get to Alya, but people moved too often. She tried not to appear rude glancing over their shoulders. Honestly, she was a little overwhelmed and needed someone familiar to converse with.

Luka was the next in her path. She had gotten close to Alya- ten feet away, but she hadn't been noticed. She had a clear path, and then Luka walked in front of it. She tried not to curse under her breath as she blushed. She had almost run into him, and she was glad she had stopped in time. When he asked her to dance, she was a little annoyed. Once on the dancefloor, she found he was a calming presence. He noticed her nervousness, and tried to make small talk to distract her. He engaged her in random conversations, asking her if she knew how to play any instruments and complimenting her , it mostly worked. He seemed kind enough. She lingered for a few moments after their dance, but remembered her mission. She started toward Alya and left him before she realized she didn't need Alya. She had already calmed down.

She wandered around for a while, dancing with more people than she could count. The only one who really stuck out to her was Luka. He was kind and seemed to understand her emotions well. He also diffuse the tension. She was tired of dancing and couldn't locate Alya, so she walked at the edges of the room. She stopped by to talk to Kim. He teased her about tripping, and assured her he only noticed because of Alya. She smiled, It was nice to talk to Kim. He could be competitive sometimes, but she was one of the only people who could beat him.

Marinette and Alya would often play board games that called for more than two people. Instead of bothering her parents, they had taken to playing games with nearby guards. Kim had played with them a few times. Marinette's parents only laughed at this, and commented that they might be safer with another person around. It wasn't like there was any real danger in France, but it was always best to be cautious.

She continued walking along the edges, and stopped when she caught sight of the boy in front of her. His blue uniform stood out against the shining white walls. She looked at his face, and tried to hold in a small gasp. No, she must have been going crazy. Hallucinating from the stress, perhaps. It couldn't be- could it?

Was Chat Noir in the castle?

Adrien was a surprised at the party. He had been standing for a few hours, but he was looking about in wonder. The decorations were tasteful and extravagant, the food delicacies. Today, he would get a fifteen minute break for socializing, and he was planning on using it to eat some food. He had good food as a guard, of course, but it wasn't this presentable. Their food was meant to be nutritious and quality, but not pretty. He found himself counting down the minutes. He people-watched. He saw the princess a few times, and he noticed her speaking to Kim. He had heard a few stories about her and her socialization with staff, but he hadn't really believed it much.

The evening went on, and he started to get used to the extravagance. He was calm, until he heard a small gasp. He turned his head to see who it was, and he blushed slightly when he identified her.

THe princess was staring at him, and then seemed to realize it was rude. He tried to keep a neutral expression as he accepted her soft apology.

"I'm so sorry," she said, "but you.. You reminded me of one of my old friends. I- I guess I'm just nervous and looking for familiar faces. I'm sorry." She continued to walk to his station. She stood next to him, observing the crowd with him. They didn't look at each other.

It was quiet in their corner, like a pocket in reality. They could hear the loud music, the chatter of the people- and yet to both of them it was so far off. Both could've sworn that they could simply hear their heartbeats in unison, beating quickly as the tension grew. He wanted to know who he reminded her of, but he couldn't ask. It would be improper and rude. He was sure now she wasn't Ladybug, she lacked a certain zest for adventure. She wanted to know why he reminded her of Chat, and she wanted to know if they might be siblings or something. Chat had been an only child, so maybe close cousins? They were so alike… suddenly, the clock struck ten. It was Adrien's breaktime. He could see someone make their way across the room, and the other guard made his way to stand beside them. Suddenly, the silence was broken.

"Would you- do you want to dance? WIth me?" Marinette spoke. Her voice was quiet, and she sounded shy. He nodded, and they made their way to the floor.

"I have to warn you, I'm not much good. I only know what they taught us in the classes here.: He admitted to her. She simply smiled. As she took his hand and led him to the floor, he was saying goodbye to the opportunity of wasn't too upset, though. It could be worse. He tried to speak to her, coming up with random things. After a while she gained confidence, and she started talking more and offering information. THey soon learned they had a common interest in stargazing. Once they learned that, they both had a moment of silence before the conversation continued. Adrien thought that Ladybug and Marinette would be good friends, enough to rival him. He wondered what Ladybug was doing at the moment. If only he knew she was talking to him, letting him spin her to the beat of the music.

The song ended with them both striking ridiculous poses just to make the other laugh, and neither disappointed.

"You liar," Marinette said after a second, "you're good at dancing. You're way better than me!" He shrugged, not very impressed with himself. After all, it was just a dance. She was the exact opposite- she had taken, like, five weeks to get through the dance shakily. He had probably only had maybe two classes, as one of the small skills guards were requested to have. He started to walk away, and she followed him to the snack table.

"Oooh, take those, those are good." She suggested random foods for him to try, and laughed with him when he ate something he didn't like so much. She was friendly, but not so much as to be a nuisance. She turned around and there was another person, requesting a dance. She glanced behind her at Adrien, and she nodded. She gave him a quick smile before she disappeared into the crowd.

Adrien spent the rest of his shift thinking about her. He didn't like overly-friendly people, but she was just the right amount of kind. He'd like to be friends with her. Also, she suggested good food. Though he looked, he caught no more glances of her. He wished a little bit that she would come back to talk. She was nice company.

THe night was danced away, and soon it was midnight. Adrien watched everyone exit the ballroom, then helped close the doors. He was the last one to linger. He looked into the room, listening to the door creak as he closed it. He watched the lights turn off slowly. He shut the door, and went back to his room. That night, he dreamed of Ladybug and Marinette- crazily enough, being one and the same.

Adrien was woken up by a pillow being thrown at him. He immediately got into attack position, but he hit his head and let himself fall back down onto the mattress. His assailant was laughing at him.

"Nino!" he exclaimed.

"In my defence, you were talking about something and it was creepy. Honestly, I don't know what you were saying."

Adrien turned red. He didn't remember what he had been saying. Whatever, it didn't matter. As long as Nino didn't have anything embarrassing on him, it was okay. Nino wouldn't blackmail, he would just joke about it anyway. He got up and ready for the day.

"Yo, are you going to the ball again tonight?"

"Ok Nino, can the break please count? I danced! That should count!"

"Nah, bruh. You have to go!" Adrien sighed in defeat. There was no use arguing. He went to his station outside the royal's office. It was rather uneventful- the king and queen walked in and out, he bowed each time… it was pretty boring. His shift ended after a few hours. He wandered around the castle, showing guests where things were. He noticed archery was outside, taught by the princess herself. There were more than a few willing 'students' waiting their turn. At the moment, the girl named Chloe was trying to be friends with Marinette.

Hi guys! This is the story's editor, Bird. The author wants to continue writing this chapter, but I'm cutting the chapter off here for the sake of length. This chapter is roughly 7,000 words long, so we're sorry for the wait! (Remember when the author wanted to do weekly updates? Hahahahahaha)


	5. The Princess and the Guard: Part 3

**Introduction** : In which two people follow a (crazy smart) cat and trust it, there are two (short-ish) nights of dancing, and Alya has glasses so I can make a joke. I don't know when Marinette's birthday is supposed to be so we are just going with it is July right now. That's not that important, but that is when you can see Saturn so like we are just going to pretend like it all makes sense. Okay? Okay!

"My father really likes archery. I've shot arrows a few times. I got a nice bow for my half-birthday last year. It was hot-pink." Marinette found it hard to stand Chloe's chatter. She was normally patient, but Chloe was acting as if they were BFFs. Marinette couldn't find a good excuse to duck out though. She had actually tried to use the archery as an excuse, only starting the lessons earlier, but Chloe had followed her.

Chloe went on and on about her father and presents and trips to exotic locations. Chloe was egotistical, to be sure. Still, there was a small layer of kindness behind her stories. She told Marinette how she saw a girl in "the most _hideous_ dress" and how she gave the girl some old clothes. "It was last season's fashion, anyway, and I am glad to be rid of them. Honestly, last season is better than no season. My father bought me a whole new wardrobe- isn't that great?" She spent a the next ten minutes describing the elegance of each dress. Marinette noticed that she glossed over the fact she was kind, and focused on the things she was blessed to have. Marinette couldn't quite figure the girl out.

Marinette steadied Chloe's arm and the arrow whooshed through the air. It landed perfectly on the bull's eye. The sound it made when it made contact with the target was strangely satisfying.

"You're a good shot," Marinette praised, "much better than I am."

"Thank you." Chloe flipped her hair proudly. "But you, I'm sure you're good. Can you try one? Please?" she begged.

"Ok, but it isn't going to be as spot on as yours." Marinette took the bow, It was heavier than she had anticipated. She usually didn't use the fancy one. She was also not lying when she claimed she was _terrible_ at archey. She steadier her arm, and took aim. She let go and it cut through the air. Behind the bow, she felt the recoil. She felt the air push back on her face, blowing some hair into her face. The sound was not like what Chloe's had made. She grimaced, almost scared to look. She closed her eyes. Chloe said nothing. Either that meant she had done terribly, or she had done well. Maybe… maybe she had hit Chloe's arrow and split it in two, like the stories?

She slowly opened her eyes, and stood just like Chloe. Chloe let out a sudden laugh. It sounded almost nervous. Marinette's eyes searched for the arrow. She had not even hit the target. She had missed it completely and hit… the hay. She smiled, though she didn't know why.

"Told you." Somehow, in her failure she was glad she had made a true statement. Were those the right words to describe it? Whatever, her inner dialogue didn't matter. She knew what she meant and she would be the only one to care.

"I didn't believe you. Wow, I… wow. It's okay, we can't be good at everything." Chloe reassured. When she realized what she'd implied, she hurriedly corrected herself. "Well, I mean, not all of us." Did she want to sound conceited? Honestly, that seemed like what she was going for.

She suffered through a little more of Chloe, and then someone else asked for advice about which hand to pull the string back with. She gave an apologetic smile to the blonde and rushed off. She pretended to be busy with others, and eventually Chloe left out of impatience. And so passed the second afternoon.

It all happened much like the night before. Marinette and her parents waited in the room, just as the previous day. They dramatically walked out, presented by the crier. This time, Marinette was careful not to trip. Her blue dress shimmered in the lighting. She danced. She was less nervous though. She spoke to another of the guards, and found Kim. He was there as a guest, and she danced with him. He was not a good dancer- though that might have been due to the fact he was laughing too hard to look where they were going.

The night wore on. Marinette had finished her dance with yet another prince when Luka came up to her and asked for the dance. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Your dress makes you look as if you are a fish in the ocean, and your shoes are the sound of the waves." He said quietly. She didn't know what to make of that, so she just smiled and thanked him awkwardly.

"Sorry that was random."

"Oh, it's fine. I really am a fish out of water." She reassured. Coincidently, she tripped at the same time. He laughed a little at her.

"Well you are a very interesting fish. What did you do today?" When the dance ended (too soon, in her opinion), he followed her off the dance floor. They chatted for a while, speaking about their childhood tudors.

"Mr. Caron always got so angry at me when I was learning Latin because I would write the correct translation out before he could teach me the words. He never figured out that I learned the words from the library. He quit out of frustration." Luka informed her.

"I was never that good of a student. I wasn't that fast at anything except math, and Mrs. Boltz always taught me a longer and harder way when I could find the answer an shorter and simpler way. She never quit but she talked to my parents and they got mad at her. After a few years they fired her." Marinette replied. Luka shook his head.

"That would have made her job easier. I hate it when they don't accept that."

"Yeah. Mrs. Bolt was a jerk to everyone though. She never thanked anyone or apologized for anything she did, no matter what it was." Alya suddenly appeared, interrupting their conversation. She didn't say anything, but it was obvious she was listening. After a moment of silence, she spoke up.

"Oh, don't mind me. Keep talking." She grinned. Luka looked at Marinette questioningly, unsure whether they should continue speaking.

"Alya, what have you been doing all night?"

"Oh no, you two keep talking."

"Alya," began Marinette smugly, "have you been talking to-"

"NO!"

" _Sure_ you haven't." The mischievous grin on her face was triumphant. She slowly started to walk and Alya walked with her. Luka walked off to somewhere else.

"I was talking to your parents and dancing-"

"With your crush?"

"MARINETTE! Girl, no. I haven't seen him here yet. _You_ are the one who should be dancing with your crush!"

"But I don't have one," Marinette stated simply.

"Yes you do. I saw you two! I have eyes, you know. Four of them." She tapped her glasses pointedly.

"We are just friends."

"Do you really believe that? He doesn't seem to think so, and I don't think you really believe that either."

"Alya. I do not like him that way. He's nice, but I- I don't like him that way." They didn't look around to see anyone else, but if they had they would have seen Luka within earshot. They would have seen his face and his expressions. Alas, they did not.

"Okay then, whatever you say. I saw you dancing with Kim earlier and I talked to him after." Marinette started to laugh.

"Oh no, what did he say?" Marinette barely got through her sentence.

"Not much. He just said something about your humor being diverse and 'interesting'. Do you want to explain?"

"I used some of the jokes the cooks and other staff taught me. Their humor is what I think he found most 'interesting'."

"Why. Marinette, why. All I can ask."

"Why or why not, this is the question."

"Oi vey, girl." Alya muttered. It turned into quiet laughter. "I hate that this is amusing."

A man walked up to them. "May I have this dance?" Alya followed him and laughed at Marinette, who was glaring at his back, though it was more in a joking manner. She wandered around the room aimlessly and attempted to avoid people who wanted to talk. Eventually, she stepped outside the ballroom. No one would miss her-she wouldn't be away for long. She walked to the gardens. When she got outside, Plagg was waiting for her.

"Hello! Look who's deciding to join you."

She bent down to pet him but he ran away from her hand, playing. She didn't move so he ran back to her. He rubbed against her leg but jumped out of the way in time to avoid her hand. If cats could smug, he would totally have been. He ran around her in circles as she stood up.

"Okay, okay, I'll follow you. Jeez, you little hairball."

He ran through the gardens and her heels started to clap loudly as she ran too. She had run in heels enough to be able not to fall. One time she broke the shoe though, so she tried to run a little slower. Plagg ran around in circles to let her keep up and then continued to run. She was out of breath but forced herself to move. Eventually, though, she had to give up.

"Plagg, I," she gasped for air. "I can't run for that long!" As if he understood he stopped at her feet. He let her catch her breath and when she leaned down he purred as she pet him.

"You wittle twickster! You twicked me!" He meowed in response. He walked slowly to the moon garden and scratched on the door. She opened it slowly, confused with the creature. He ran inside and sat on the floor next to her chair. She sat down to the best of her ability in the dress. It wasn't a hoop skirt, but it had some wires in it to retain some shape. She looked up at her creations- little moons and stars- and sighed contentedly. She looked at the desk, covered in all shapes and sizes of wires. She picked up a half-made star and felt the light weight in her hand. Before she really realized it, she started to form the rest of it and hum some of the songs she had heard at the ball. She got into the creative zone and soon she had completed ten stars.

Adrien

Adrien arrived at the ball late. He hadn't realized the time and had gotten caught up talking to Mouse. When he arrived, not much was happening. He didn't see Marinette or Nino- though he did see their mutual friend Alya. He wandered around a little and danced with a few girls, but it was boring. His thoughts turned to the garden outside. It was dark enough that the stars would be out.

The air was warm outside. He found a spot in the garden where there was a space of grass and he laid down on it. He looked up at the stars in the inky blackness. The universe was so large, and he was so small. Adrien marvelled at the scale of the sky, and how far it reached. Something felt wrong though. After thinking for a little, he decided that what he felt was loneliness. He used to stargaze with Ladybug sometimes. She had gotten him into astronomy for a few months. He remembered drawing the lines because her hand would shake. He tried to remember the constellations. It was summer, so that one had to be… Leo? Yeah, that sounded right. Leo.

Suddenly he was caught up in a vivid memory. He was sitting on the floor of the treehouse with Ladybug behind him. It was nighttime, and he was out much later than he probably should have been. He was hunched over a large sheet of paper and Ladybug was holding a candle so he could see. The darkness of the night had engulfed everything, and her candle was barely keeping the darkness at bay.

"Your lines are so much straighter than mine."

"You just can't keep still," he pointed out.

"True, true," she admitted. He finally finished drawing Lyra. She leaned over to inspect it, and he could smell her hair. It smelt faintly of baked goods. On the way to the park there was a bakery with the most heavenly smell that always rose from it. She smelled like a bakery. She must have stopped there for food recently.

"Okay, next one," she had said. She put nine points on the paper, using some measurement tool that's name had escaped him over time.

"Sorry to say but it looks like a hanger, bug."

"It's a lion, Chat. A lion. You have you use a lot of imagination for this one though, I have to say. Snack?" She held out a brown bag that had a croissant in it.

"We've been here for hours and you are just now eating the croissant?" he asked as he split it in half. She simply shrugged and took her share. The bread was high-quality, he noticed. It was a step- up from his normal foods, he had to admit. While they still had lunch about once a week, it was nice to have something else. He drew the lines in between the points. He had to redraw one line a few times before it was good enough to leave. Over his shoulder Ladybug muttered her approval.

"What is it called?" he asked, readjusting where the pencil was in his hand.

"Leo- Leo the Lion."

The crickets' chirping broke Adrien out of his reverie. The chirping… and something else. It was a tune, softly sung by an angel. It was not that the voice was beautiful, exactly- it was that it was obvious the song was sung with care and love.

He didn't open his eyes, but simply thought of the stories all children were told. The stories of sirens in the seas, singing sailors to their dooms. 'If this is what a siren sounds like,' he thought, 'I'd happily join them under the sea.' And while his imagination was captured by thoughts of the ocean, the swaying of boats and songs, another part of him was still there in the grass. It felt almost like a cradle. The crickets sang in harmony with the voice.

It was not peace, but it was close to it. He hadn't felt peace since he had become a guard. There were moments like this where it was close, and at the time may have thought about using the word- but it was not exactly the real, full version of it. He missed that feeling. He had felt most at peace with Ladybug. There were plenty of action-packed memories of being chased through the streets, but there were also calm moments where they were quiet. Stargazing was one of them. It wasn't the same without her though.

The crickets ceased chirping for a second, then two- just as the song got louder and faster. The voice melted the words into breaths. Then, the song stopped and the crickets resumed their merry melodies. He opened his eyes. He heard a cat meow and a giggle. He sat up, then stood.

He was tempted to find the voice, but decided that he wouldn't intrude. He had suspicions on who it was though. He walked to the exit, going indoors- and he really intended to go back to the ballroom. His hand was on the handle, but he stopped moving when Plagg found him. Plagg meowed at him this time, and Adrien followed the sleek and smug little gremlin to the moon room. The door was open and Marinette sat in her chair, working on another star. There was no singing. She didn't seem to notice Adrien in the doorway. It seemed that often Plagg left her alone to her work, because she made no effort to find him.

Adrien cleared his throat to announce his presence. She looked up and her face turned scarlet. Her mouth opened, but it didn't make noise. She was speechless.

Marinette

She couldn't fathom that she had been caught. She didn't know if he had heard her sing. She didn't know what he knew. All she could think was that this was supposed to be her secret place, her project to keep herself busy. It was something that she hadn't shared with anyone- they had seen the product, but not the process. She tried to calm down. It would be okay, it would be okay, _it would be okay_. Was it really that bad? There wasn't anything wrong with what she was doing. She was just working on her project. Her face slowly returned to its normal state, and she noticed that his was crimson too. She recovered and smiled. If there was anyone to catch her beside Alya or maybe Kim, she was glad it was Adrien.

"It's alright. I'm just working on the garden, that's all." She tried to reassure him.

"I'm sorry, I was- I was just out here, and then I followed Plagg, and-" she couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh.

"It's fine, honestly. You just.. surprised me, that's all. Come in. Sorry I don't have anywhere else to sit, but, uh... here." She stood up and moved over a few crates of metal wires. They were sturdy and she moved to sit on the crates herself, but he stopped her.

"Your dress might rip and it's your place after all," was all he said.

"So, um, what I have been doing is- well, have you seen the sun garden?" he nodded. "It's like that, but for the moon. I made that one too. I mean, it's not exactly a garden, but it goes in the garden. When I complete this the gardener will probably put some plants that maybe bloom at night in here. But anyway, I make patterns- for here they are stars- and I string them together and angle them so they make patterns on the ground. There are some metal parts to create shadows, but at different times of the year it will create different patterns. Right now I am just creating the shapes that I may or may not use."

"Could you make planets too?" he asked.

"I- I never really thought of planets, to be honest. Are there any out this time of year?" she asked the question more to herself than to Adrien, but he answered.

"Saturn comes out this time of year. We should actually be able to see it tonight, I think." She stood up quickly.

"Really?" she was half out the door before she hesitated, but he was right behind her. She let herself rush out in the gardens, moving towards the sun garden. He moved in the opposite direction. They both peered at the sky, trying to find the planet from different angles. They moved around the castle's side, but to no avail. They continued to search the sky. Maybe they had missed it. Plagg got Marinette's attention and she got Adrien's. Plagg noticed that they both were following him, so he scurried inside the castle.

"Plagg's a smart cat. I trust him. He's smarter than normal cats." Marinette explained. Adrien simply followed them. He didn't know why, exactly, but he didn't have anything to do. Why not follow a cat around the castle? He couldn't find an argument against it.

They followed Plagg, who ran like he was a mad cat. He circled back to let them catch up, but then he ran off again, faster than a slingshot. They hurried through the dining room, past the kitchen, and out a side door. The guard at the door gave the pair (or more accurately, trio) a strange look but did not stop them. They were on the other side of the castle now, and they just followed Plagg. That proved to be a challenge because Plagg blended in with the night. He eventually guided Marinette by rubbing against her leg in the direction they were going.

Adrien just had to hope that he could see her outline with the small amount of light from the castle. They were now walking through a field of lush grass, outside the walls and confines of the castle. It was freedom for both of them. Adrien hadn't been this far outside in years- when they were taken out to train, they were with a crowd of guards and mentors. The guards mostly trained inside the castle walls. He was away from the watchful eyes in the castle, and with someone just like him. Marinette was allowed to go outside, but there was not much to do, if she was honest. She hadn't stargazed in years. Not since Chat. She wanted to, of course, she tried. Simply put, she couldn't bring herself to let go. The moon and sun gardens were to cure her boredom and an excuse to be outside at night and not stargaze, but also a tiny, tiny bit for Chat. He deserved the world, he had been so innocent and pure- and then it had all been taken from him. Years later, she still grieved.

They simultaneously turned another corner around the side of the castle and in the sky, near Scorpius and Libra, was the planet Saturn.

"Whoa." was all Marinette could manage.

"Wow." was all Adrien could say. It was bright and beautiful. To most people it might not have looked like much, but to two people who had learned all they could about the skies, it was breathtaking. They stared up at the sky, transfixed.

"Thank you, Plagg." Marinette whispered. Still looking up, she crouched down and he lept into her arms. Adrien reached over and stroked the smug feline's head. "Thank you." he muttered. That cat really was smart. It was quiet for a little while, until Marinette gasped.

"Oh, no. How long have I been gone?" her voice was a little panicked. "I'm supposed to be in the ballroom! Sorry, Adrien, I have to go!" she exclaimed. He followed her back to the castle, but returned to the garden with Plagg in his arms. He let the night pass away without much incident. Plagg sat in his arms for the rest of the night, purring.

The next morning, most people left. The third day was going to be small, and those who stayed woulds likely continue to stay until Marinette was wed. These were the people with high expectations and hopes.

Adrien was guarding the dining hall again. He had an all-day shift. He'd get breaks, but he didn't do much on shift so they were shorter. About fifteen guests were staying in the castle, and Marinette was nervously watching them. She still didn't seem at ease with them, though her parents looked relaxed. Now that the crowd was manageable, they were all eating in the dining room with the royal family.

Breakfast was interrupted suddenly when an advisor ran to the queen. He gave her a message, and she relayed it to the king. They both stood up, apologized, and hurried out the room. Queen Sabine called out, "Probably nothing to worry about, don't be nervous. Just precautionary." She didn't sound like she was lying, and she didn't seem like it. Adrien believed her. The royals had a reputation of being truthful. They didn't have any skeletons in their closets, no cobwebs to be swept under the rug. They were upstanding people. Adrien felt justified in his conclusion that she was not lying to them.

Marinette seemed to believe her too. Marinette was nervous though, as now she was the position of power at the table. Suddenly, the conversation picked up. Adrien recognized the speaker as Luka.

"So, Marinette," he began, "what do you think that was about?" He asked with a smile on his face as he leaned forward. She started to play with the hem of her dress, out of his view. She didn't seem too comfortable being the main power at the table. She would have to get used to it though, if she would be queen.

"I'm not sure. It could be anything." she took a sip of her drink, trying to avoid other questions. Luka didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Come on, you must have some theory, right?"

"Oh, I don't know. What about you?"

"I'm asking you." He tried to sound playful, but seemed annoyed under a polie mask. Princess Marinette simply shrugged. He gave up and sat back in his chair. Someone else from the other side of the room commented on the weather. Another started to inquire about Marinette's personal life- what she did in her free time, favourite places in the castle. She ducked out of the questions, trying to put up walls. She didn't want to talk so freely in front of so many people. It was understandable. She could be brave, but she wasn't comfortable when she wasn't defending others. Adrien slightly wished for Chloe's presence- she would take the pressure off. She would talk about herself and diffuse the tension. Though once the girl started talking he doubted she would ever stop.

The king returned, assuring them it had been fine. Nothing large had happened, just a mishap in paperwork. The queen was fixing it as he finished breakfast. The conversation consisted of Tom getting people to talk of their homes. He left early so he could bring his wife some food, while still being polite to their guests.

Soon they all left after completing their meal. Adrien stood in silence. He let himself slouch a tiny bit, as he was alone. It was quiet. Slowly, the newly-discovered cat door opened. The small cat jumped through the hole, gracefully landing in the silence with a soft squeak. The cat considered the room and then sauntered over to Adrien. Adrien looked around. He was alone. Crouching to reach the cat, he held out his hand. The feline sniffed it cautiously and then rubbed his hand with its face. Plagg was adorable. Plagg rolled on his back and Adrien pet his belly. Unlike most cats, Plagg didn't threaten to bite or scratch. He only rolled around more, letting himself be pet. Adrien got a little nervous when Plagg opened his mouth, but it was only a yawn. Adrien never knew that cats could yawn, but he felt himself yawn too. Were cat's yawns contagious? Plagg then proceeded to lick his hand. Plagg lazily rolled a few more times before suddenly standing and running out of the room.

Adrien stood back up. He technically wasn't supposed to pet Plagg, but he wasn't caught and it was likely to be expected. Plagg was a cuteness hazard. As quickly as Plagg appeared, he left, running through the cat-door

To entertain himself, he mentally rehearsed the how-to manuals of random attacks and defenses to distract himself. That weekend training session they had practiced some of them, and Adrien didn't want to make a fool of himself. He wanted to be prepared for the next lesson.

When his shift ended, he noticed his break was actually longer than normal. He had time to talk to Nino, who had the day off, before his shift started again. After telling Nino about the wonders of Plagg, the conversation turned to letters. Adrien hadn't received mail from his mother yet, but Nino had gotten a letter from his family wishing him well. Adrien expected to hear from his mother soon. He hoped she was alright.

Once back on shift, he found it all incredibly boring. Everyone would be eating dinner in their rooms, except for the royal family due to the time needed to get ready. Adrien didn't really understand it all that much, but it was just how it was. Maybe it had something to do with not wanting to wear the same outfit twice or some rich people custom. He wouldn't know.

His brain wandered to thoughts and memories of Ladybug. One time, they wandered around Paris trying to find a leaf that matched his eye colour- as immature eight-year-olds do. It had been fall, for goodness' sake- green leaves were scarce. That was a fun day though, but only because Ladybug had made it fun. He couldn't see his eyes, but Ladybug kept complaining that his eyes were too unique of a shade.

He got lost in his reminiscing. To him, it seemed as if he was lost in a forest of memories- each tree holding thousands of details and words. Millions of feelings and thoughts, waiting for him to inspect them once again. Years full of memories filled the forest, and it was hard to find his way around in it. He never knew what he would run into.

He remembered keeping a list of what he knew about her identity, but gave up because it got too long. Her identity was his best friend- and while he was desperate to know who she was, what her real name was- he still backed off. He let her be who she needed to be. She needed to be Ladybug, so he let her. He had always admired her, though she made some stupid decisions.

He remembered her jumping out of the treehouse and onto a leaf pile. She didn't cry, but he saw the tears welling up in her beautiful bluebell eyes. Nothing was bleeding and nothing was actually bruised, but he could tell the side she landed on hurt. He helped her get back up into the treehouse. The first thing she really said afterwards was, "Wasn't that jump epic?" He remembered not being able to stop his laughter and getting ready to apologize through gaps of breaths- only to find she was laughing right with him.

He remembered the first time they took on a bully together. He had started the fight, actually. A little boy- who was so much like him- was crying because an older girl was yelling at him for something stupid. He didn't remember what she had been saying, but he recalled his anger. That boy could have easily been him. He stepped up and got her attention, and then she had gotten mad at him. He was shrinking away when he felt air suddenly move. Ladybug ran up to the bully and punched her in the eye and stomach. "Don't mess with my friends." Her voice was so full of anger, and yet also with love. He never knew a voice could sound that way. He had marvelled at that fact while they escorted the little boy home. Even after Ladybug had run off into the night and he was home, he still thought about it.

He remembered the first time they met- when he was still too shy to ask to be able to join a small soccer game. After half a year with Ladybug, he thought of that timid, weak, intiminated kid and wondered where that boy went. Ladybug had chased that away. She had opened his eyes to the world and led him with her confidence. So he copied her, and he changed. He had less anxiety once he had become friends with her. He was more calm and collected.

He remembered when they would spin tales to entertain each other, and let their feet dangle off the edge of the tree as they pointed out plot holes. Those were some of the best nights of his life. He looked forward to those, and he would try to prepare by making up plots. He remembered practicing them on his mom after she came home from work and seeing her reaction. He remembered her face when she told him she was so proud of him, and Ladybug's when she pointed out plots with a smile that matched his mother's. He remembered his pride in himself when they were proud of him.

He remembered the only two real lies he told her. He had told her he was an only child- which was partly true, but not really. He had never told her about his siblings. Leaving had excommunicated him from them, and them from his life. He did not have true, good siblings. The other lie he told her was "see you tomorrow, LB!". That was one of his biggest regrets. If only he had known how wrong he had been.

He remembered their last goodbye. It was quick- not nearly long enough. They thought they'd see each other the next day, so they parted quickly. They hurried home without any worries.

He wondered what she thought when he never showed up. He couldn't imagine it, really. It was unfathomable.

He wondered what she said when she got home to her family- did they know of his existence? Did they look for him?

He wondered what she did when he was gone. What schemes had she pulled over the years without him?

He wondered if he was replaced by someone else to fill the empty treehouse. What would they be like?

He wondered how reuniting would be like. What would he first say to her? He tried to think of words, but words failed.

Adrien hated the feeling of crying. His face became too warm and he felt vulnerable. Yet, sometimes people need to cry. He hadn't let himself cry in years, but… he let himself cry for a little. He didn't know what had happened to his friend. He had missed so much. Would they ever find each other again?

On that note, Plagg burst in the room. The little feline sat in the sun rays that streamed through the window next to Adrien. He knelt down and pet Plagg's stomach. Plagg licked his hand as reward. Plagg was a good comfort. It was like he had experience with calming people down and drying their tears. Humans by nature are bad with others crying- animals always seemed better. Adrien felt the tears go away as he played with Plagg. Plagg liked to play tag with Adrien, he discovered- meaning Plagg was very happy to chase Adrien around the room. Plagg stuck around for a while, but left minutes before the royal family arrived.

They walked in the door together. They sat down and the dinner was served- and it smelled _heavenly_. It smelled like happiness, but in a smell. About five minutes into the main course the King and Queen had to leave to meet with their advisors last-minute. Adrien didn't catch what it was, but he presumed that the morning's interruption was related. So, it was just Marinette at the table. She looked so small on the other side of the room. The only sound in the room was the clinking of her spoon against her bowl. Suddenly, she broke the silence.

"Nope, nope, nope," she said, "sit down." she gestured to the chair next to her and he obliged. The room was huge and it felt awkward to walk so far in silence. He sat down cautiously. She slid a plate to him and used a fork to shovel some of her untouched food onto the plate. Adrien was confused, until she slide the plate to him.

"I- I can't take this!" he protested.

"Why not?" she challenged.

"I am supposed to be on duty, not eating."

"Well, what if it's poisoned?"

"What? Why would it be poisoned?"

"I don't know, but do you want me to die?'

"Of course not!"

"Then eat." she turned her attention back to her food. He didn't move.

"Why do you want me to eat it, anyway?" he asked. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he also wanted to understand why.

"It's too quiet and having someone just stand in the corner of every room is more unnerving then you'd think. Now, eat." Cautiously, he did as she bade.

"Oh my gosh it tastes better than it smells," he thought to himself. Except he had said it out loud. Marinette giggled as he turned red.

"I figured you'd like it. The guards are supposed to eat more nutritious food while we get more tasteful food." That made sense to him. Still, he felt like they should get some of this food sometimes.

"So. Favorite colour?" she asked suddenly.

"Green. What's yours?"

"Green." she said with a shy smile.

"That makes sense. You wear green often." he noted softly. She smiled at his observational skills. He looked embarrassed, but the look she gave him assured him that she wasn't judging him.

It was a quiet dinner, but a good one. The food was heavenly and there was a friendly atmosphere. He told her that he had siblings, but that they had moved away. She told him that she had secretly wished for a brother. Her face was stormy for a few moments before it went back to normal. He never really thought that the expression of a stormy face could actually be real, but it worked for that expression. No other words seemed to fit. Plus, her eyes were a soft blue, just like the sky. Shouldn't that count for something?

They noticed the sounds of high-heels on the floors and Marinette's eyes grew wide.

'No, no, no, no, no…' she muttered to herself. She quickly stood up and turned to him.

"I'm sorry, I have to go! I should have been there early, but-"

"It's fine," he assured her, but she didn't leave. "Go! Don't be late again!" he shooed her. She shot him a grateful smile and hurried away. He collected their dishes and a servant entered on cue to clean them up. He returned to his post.

He didn't seem to notice that he couldn't stop smiling.

Marinette

She hurried to get to the room, but she was too late. The third party had already began. She found her mother and apologized. Her mother just made her promise to try and be on time the net time a big occasion took place. Marinette was relieved as she agreed.

She found Alya waiting by one of the guards. His name was Nino, and he was Alya's crush. Marinette guessed he was kind of cute, but he was just a really nice guy and seemed like he would be able to compliment Alya's no-chill attitude with his calming presence. She had also spoken to Nino about Alya and he seemed to admire her a bit- at least, until after The Game.

Marinette invited Nino to join in playing a game because it needed three players. The specifics of the game was not important, but after that game, things seemed to shift. Alya spoke about Nino even more. Afterwards when Marinette brought up the game, Nino could not hide his lovestruck smile when speaking about Alya's competitiveness. Hence, it being called "The Game"- everything changed after.

Luka found Marinette quickly. He danced with her and they traded tales of random mishaps. Marinette found Luka very interesting. She sort of wanted to continue being friends with him. His humour was good and he had lots of comebacks that were not offensive but still were effective. He understood what the royal life was like, and he understood what she said with the words she said them in. In short, he was a cool guy.

Marinette spent most of her time with Luka and Alya. They didn't seem to get along well, but Alya said nothing against him. She had expected them to be good friends, but they didn't mix well. It was like her father showed her one time- oil did not mix with water. Some people might seem similar enough, but they just don't work together. That was Alya and Luka. They didn't hate each other, just didn't love each other.

Her night passed by quickly. Five more people left that night. She had nine people left pining for her. Still, she let herself relax. One-on-one she was okay. It wasn't as bad as that morning. Luka also had apologized for making her uncomfortable by pressing questions that morning, and she had waved it off. She might have still been a little annoyed, but she'd get over it.

It was late when they left all the ballroom. She was the third to last person. Her father messed up her hair and she laughed as they left. It was a good night. She had a good week.

Adrien

He woke up with a letter next to his head. He recognized his mother's neat handwriting and he held it close to his face. He sat up and was wide awake. He opened it carefully, relishing the sound it made. He had';t gotten to hear the sound in a while. He opened up the letter, and read it.

To summarize, it was a letter telling him she had received his letter and that she was proud of him. She told him that his paycheck had been helpful and that she missed him very much. It was short, but it was still made of her words. He held the letter closer to his heart. He noticed it smelled like paint. On further inspection, he noticed there was a little bit of red paint on the outside of the envelope. He made sure he had some time before work and composed a letter back. It assured her that he had gotten his letter, he was good, and that he was being fed well enough. He also asked her if she was finally repainting his wall. She had always told him she would some day, and that it would be a glorious sight. She asked him what colour he would want it to be, and he said red. Did this mean she actually followed through?

When reporting for duty, he learned he would be in the hallway for the morning and afternoon then move to the dining room for dinner. It was a quick day for him, and rather uneventful. At dinner, it was quiet and stiff. Nine suitors were still there, but three of them announced that they would be leaving the next day. They all gave Princess Marinette a long look, as if to ask her to beg them to stay. She looked down at first, shy, but then changed her tactics. Wen they didn't look away, she looked the msquare in the eyes and her body language said, " _I dare you. Fight me. My bite is much worse than my bark_." They looked away instead. Marinette was the last out of the room. She waited for the others to leave, and walked up to Adrien.

"Anything new?" she inquired.

"Actually, yeah. My letters got to my mom and she wrote back." His voice was excited and she smiled at him.

"Good! What did she say?"

"The typical mom stuff, like 'oh I wish you were home and I love you" type. It's just really good to have her words with me. It sounds stupid, but-"

"It's not. If my mom was away for a week I would want her words with me. I can't imagine months or years." He nodded.

"Also, I asked that you be put on duty here for dinner. Is that okay with you? It's alright if it's not, I just want to be sure and not pressure you."

"I'm good with that. I like being in here anyway." he replied. He was surprised, but happy. He was especially happy when he saw the beaming smile that she gave him.

"Thank you! See you tomorrow!" she walked out the room happily after he retired the farwell.

"Adrien- hey, Adrien!" Alya called. Marinette was close behind, gigiling. "Adrien!" they both called. He had been walking because it was his free day off. He had nothing to do because his close friends were all working and he already sent a letter to his mom.

"Yes?"

"Hey- we were wondering if you'd like to play a game with us?"

"What kind of game? Marinette's giggling is suspicious."

"A board game. Marinette is giggling because no one can beat her and I lose every time."

"Why not?' he asked himself as he followed them to the gameroom. He had nothing better to do.

Marinette took the game pieces out of the box and Alya set them on the board. They explained the rules to him, and he tried to look like he knew what was happening. He was confused but just went with it. He didn't want them to have to explain the rules again. The game was set in a magical world where there were dragons, trolls, and fae. One of his neighbors had told him folktales about _grifees_ and _tintipuca_ , so he knew what they were.

The game was easy to pick up on. It was hard though, especially because the two girls were really, really competitive. Obviously, he knew he would not win. Still, it was fun. They came up with some inside jokes- varying from nicknames (Marinette was the Dragon because she hoarded materials, Alya was the troll because she would not let anyone pass up her square without a challenge, and Adrien was the Fae king because he was tricky and weaseled his way out of Alya's challenges) to phrases that would make them all cackle (like Fae's Tongue, because Marinette was able to fight a fae and kill it by _stealing it's freaking tongue_ and then just… walking away with it so it could no longer charm her). All in all, it was a good way to use his day off- and the game hadn't even ended.

Adrien's turn came around, and he could not figure out and loopholes in the treaty he had been forced to sign with Alya's character.

"The Fae king has failed!" Alya declared triumphantly when he relinquished the promised reparations. Marinette screathed in response, saying something about how Adrien had failed her. He simply shrugged his shoulders. Marinette shoved him playfully and he fell over. Alya was laughing so hard she couldn't speak.

Alya's gold stores were almost full- and Marinette's were strangely bare. Adrien was broke, so he was now out of the game. It was now Alya's turn. Alya looked at her cards, then rubbed her hands together. She put them down, and Marinette's eyes grew wide.

"No. Freaking. Way," was all she could whisper. "That- you've won the game." Marinette looked at Adrien in shock and horror. He looked back in amusement.

Their eyes met, and time slowed. For a moment, they were best friends again. They were a pair, a duo, partners in crime. They knew each other well, better than they had ever known themselves. They were home. They were together in this maze of life. They no longer heard Alya's triumphant speech- or rather, their ears simply refused to process it. All they heard was the beat of their hearts, in sync with each others. They were frozen, as if they were under Alya's winning spell from the game. It was wonderfully peaceful and oh so… perfect.

And then, it broke. Alya's voice was heard, they looked away, and they no longer understood the emotions they had just experienced. They both brushed it off as nothing, a hopeless hope, a plea for someone else. It couldn't be. They were too different. Ladybug was more outgoing, courageous, and confident. Chat Noir was more of jokester, more playful and mischievous. Adrien lacked a certain glint in his eye and a will to leave his mark. Adrien lacked some of the confidence Chat had, but not to the point that he would not have asked to play a soccer game. Their types of confidences were not the same. Marinette lacked bruised knees and cut hands. She lacked the boundless energy Ladybug had. Marinette wasn't the type to give fake inspirational speeches, or to start making puns. No, it was just a stupid wish that they could find each other. It was barely even a possibility. It was nothing. " _It was nothing,_ " they promised themselves. Just a wish, only a yearning for a wisp of the old friendship. They convinced themselves that it was just something they wanted, for loss of what had once been.

Both of them believed that despite their obvious differences, if they all met they would be good friends. If Adrien and Chat met, they would be laughing all day. If Marinette and Ladybug met, they would have deep conversations- after a few jokes.

Over the next few weeks, they had similar moments. The pair got closer. They discovered more about each other, and brushed off coincidences of interests. While the suitors were still watching, Marinette's heart was stolen. Behind everyone's backs she fell. No one knew- not even her. While his friends were awkwardly stalking at times, Adrien's heart was stolen. No one knew- not even him. He wouldn't- he couldn't know. Neither of them realized what had happened, so neither could worry of the danger. Nevertheless, the danger found them.

Author's note: Timidness is not a character flaw, just to be clear. I am sorry for the late update (I have no excuse besides the evils of school). Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

Editor's note: Notice how the chapters keep getting bigger...


	6. The Princess and the Impostor: Part 1

Chapter Six: The Princess and the Imposter

Author's note: This is a really short chapter! I'm sorry about that. I thought this seemed like a good place to pause. I will probably not update too soon. My goal is to update by the end of the month, but that may be expecting too much from me. Sorry, thank you for reading, and I hope you like the chapter!

Marinette

Several months had passed since the ball. Seven of the suitors who had left proposed before their departure and were swiftly turned down. Four visitors were left- Alton, Luka, Samuel, and Rhys. It was obvious her rejection had lowered the pool of hopeful bachelors. Marinette spent most of her days with Luka, Adrien, and Alya. Sometimes she hung out with Kim, but not much. She was mostly friends with him when Alya was in the castle.

Alya was off to Sweden, and then she would visit Norway. That meant she was going away for months, and not spending most of her time in Paris. So, Marinette was on her own, except for her parents (who were naturally awkward to talk to about boys, being her _parents_ and _adults_ ) and guards who she had befriended (who she would also never talk to about boys, for the obvious reason that they were).

On one misty morning, she was walking with Luka outside of the walls. They were laughing at some joke he had made, though it was soon forgotten. Marinette had long since decided that Luka was a good, nice, funny person. He was good company. He had so many amazing stories to tell. There was never a dull moment- sometimes, it felt as if he was allergic to silence.

"Hey, I want to show you something," Luka suddenly said once their laughter had died down. "There's this lake nearby and it is beautiful. The way the light shimmers on it and the rocks surrounding it are breathtaking. I'm sure it looks awesome with mist too."

"Oh, I'd love to go, but we have to head back soon. I still have some lessons. Today is probably about being ladylike." Marinette really wanted to go, but she still had obligations.

"Oh. Alright. Still, I think we should go today. Later maybe?"

"I'll see if I can," Marinette told him with a smile. "I can't wait to see it." His face lit up a bit and she giggled a little. Still, she had places to be- so she hurried off to her lesson. On her way she found Adrien paroling. She tapped his left shoulder and stood on his right. He looked right and she made a fake-offended face.

"When someone taps your _left_ shoulder, you look _left_! You don't look to the right."

"What can I say," came his quick response, "I cannot be tricked." They both laughed, and she continued her walk down the hall. Her lesson was short, but felt like eternity. Still, she knew it was important so she did not let on her boredom.

She ran into Alton as she left. Literally, she walked into him. The face he gave her was annoyed and he started to say something snappy, until he realized who it was. His demeanor immediately changed.

"Hello! I was looking for you." His face morphed into a happy expression, and his voice was a bit too excited. Marinette gave him a forced smile.

"You were? I'm sorry, but I have to go." She attempted to speed walk away before he pressed for answers, but he was persistent.

"May I escort you to your destination?" he asked. She attempted not to roll her eyes.

"I'd prefer not," she muttered. Attempting to be a tiny bit polite, she said farewell. He did not get the memo.

"Where are you going?" He leaned close to her, made possible by his lanky body. This was unappreciated by Marinette, so she slightly leaned away.

"It's mine to know, not yours." He seemed to misunderstand that she was trying to get rid of him. Instead, he seemed to think she was continuing conversation.

"Hmm. Mysterious." He continued to follow her. She walked through the halls, aimlessly wandering. In one of the halls, she saw Nino and Kim. She looked at them wide-eyed and mouthed "save me". They only laughed. She rolled her eyes. She hadn't expected help, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to pretend to be bitter about it. She maintained eye contact with Nino and mouthed, "useless" to him. That only made his crack up hysterically. Somehow Alton didn't seem to catch on. How thick was his skull?

Eventually, she made her way to her parent's office and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her before he could follow her. It was doubtful that he would risk bothering the king and queen. She locked the door, just in case. He didn't seem to understand that he was not always welcome. She wished he would just go back home.

"Mama, can I help?" she asked. Her mother was bent over a map of France, and was murmuring to herself.

"Oh, hello dear. I'm just looking at where it is best to send some supplies."

"Doesn't Cannes need more? I think Papa said something about them needing something."

"Point, point. Yeah, that works. But I think Loire Valley needs some medical supplies too."

"Go with whichever."

"I think it's been a while since they've gotten and supplies, so Loire is the best option. Thanks for the help though. Cannes is next on the list." Marinette sat down and helped her mother make a list of cities waiting for different types of supplies. Hours later, they both rose, hugged, and left the office. Marinette found herself talking to Adrien (who was on a break) when Luka came by. She didn't see him, but she heard his voice.

"Hey, Marinette?"

"Oh," she yelped, a bit startled, "Hello." Adrien smiled at her (though she noticed it looked a little bit stranded) and he left them alone. Before he could speak, she cut in.

"I'm sorry! I wanted to go to the lake, but I had to go to my lessons, I was helping mother with supplies, and then I lost track of time. I'm so sorry!" He was silent, so she continued. "My mother predicted for the fog to linger, so can we go tomorrow? I promise I won't forget-" He smiled now.

"Marinette- Marinette, it's okay. Tomorrow is good too." She let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you." He bowed and left her alone in the halway. She made her way back to her room. She resolved that first thing in the morning, she would go to the lake with him. She would not leave him waiting.

Marinette woke up early and got ready. Her dress was a pretty hue of light yellow. It was styled off of the old Greek empire's style of dress. It was floor-length and flowy. Marinette took note that it was fun to twirl around in.

She walked to the gardens, and Luka was already there. He asked her how she slept and the conversation flowed. She let him lead her to the lake.

It was even foggier than the previous day, and Marinette doubted they would be able to see much of the lake. Still, she stayed silent. Luka was smart.

They reached the lake and they both fell silent. Truely, it was beautiful. She could see a large fish swimming beneath the surface, its fin rippling through the water and cutting into the fog. She looked out at the whole of the lake- on a clear day, she might have been able to see the rock formations on the other side. Today, she could see about fifteen feet in front of her.

She smiled. She could smell the saturated air, and she felt some water cling to her skin. She crouched and ran her hand through the water. The water was warm. A fish swam up to her, and she almost caught it with her bare hand. She stood up to see what the surrounding hills looked like. She turned and could see the outline of some of them and some of the rich green colour. She couldn't help but to let out a loud, joyous laugh.

She turned to look at Luka and he was smiling with her. Except instead of standing next to her, he was on his knee with a ring in a box. He took a breath in, ready to speak. Instead of feeling like she was on air, it felt like Marinette was underwater. This was not happening.

"Marinette, from the moment I met you-"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Luka sputtered.

"I said no. I'm sorry Luka, I don't want to hurt you, but… but I just- I just don't like you that way. You are funny and kind and a good friend but I don't like you like that." Marinette stuttered out that. Her voice was full of sympathy. She watched as Luka's shocked face turned impassive.

"Naturally," he muttered to himself. He mumbled more that she could hear.

"I'm sorry. I just- I don't want to say yes and then get cold feet or ruin your perfect day or-" Marinette didn't get to finish because he stood up and ran to the castle. She stood there in shock. For some reason, she began to cry. She looked down at the lake and crumpled to the ground. Her reflection looked pathetic as she let her incessant tears salt the lake. When her face finally dried, she stood. She had cried all of her tears and her body refused to give her more. The pity party was over.

She looked at her reflection in the lake. It was obvious she'd been crying. She smoothed her dress and forced a smile. She was determined to act like nothing had happened.

The worst part was that her eyes were puffy as she hurried past the guards. It seemed like the castle was more full than usual. Marinette tried to act normal but ended up almost running past everyone. Since there was no Plagg in sight and no other motive they knew for her to run, more than a few people called out to her. She didn't respond.

Due to speeding past everyone, she made it to her room quickly- but dozens of servents and guards had already witnessed her mood. She tried to forget the situation she was in.

She spent the day in her room and told everyone she was not to be disturbed. Her mother knocked on the door a few times, and so did her father, but she made up flimsy excuses and refused to unlock her door. To keep her hands busy, she sewed a little pin-cushion in the likeness of Plagg.

Her day was painfully slow. She skipped breakfast and lunch. When dinner came, some food was left outside her door. After the knocking, she waited until she thought they had left the food alone. Instead, she opened up the door to find Adrien holding a platter of food.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. It was noticeable that he held the food farther from her so she couldn't just grab it and lock him out.

"Nothing," she lied, "I'm just being dramatic. Sometimes you just need a break from people, you know?"

"Okay, yeah I know what you mean." Despite his words, his voice sounded doubtful.

"Can… I have my food now?" Marinette asked, trying to break off the conversation and the awkward silence. Adrien moved the food closer to her.

"It's from Luka. He helped make it himself. The cook apparently had a very good impression of him." Cue a pause. "There's a note with it too." Marinette inwardly groaned, but outwardly sent Adrien a suspicious look as she took the platter from him.

"Oh- no don't worry, I didn't read it." He hurried to say once he realized why her face looked like that.

"Thank you," was all she said. She gave him a quick smile before shutting the door. She set the food down on her bed and sat next to it. She picked up the note. It was blue with gold accents. She unfolded the paper and noted how it was even thicker than the paper she used- and that was saying something. Her eyes scanned the words, but her eyes didn't process is. She forced her eyes to focus.

Dear Princess Marinette,

I am sorry. I was moving too fast, and I didn't consider that you didn't feel the same way. I didn't mean any offense, and I deeply apologize. I hope we can still be friends. Please forgive me.

-Luka

Marinette smiled. He always was polite. It had likely been a misunderstanding, and the blame on her shoulders. Apologizing sooner rather than later would be a good plan of action. Still, it was best to eat first and think of her words.

He had sent her a dish she didn't know the name of. Judging by the smell though, it was good. She took a bite and it was delicious. It was just the right amount of savory and salty. She contemplated what to say as she continued to eat. She should start out with an apology, and then an explanation of maybe what was understood. What then? She hoped he wasn't still upset. From his note, it sounded like he wasn't. Still, what's said on paper can be unlike the truth. She finished her meal. As she stood up, she felt a little nauseous. She pushed that down and continued her way to the door. A stabbing pain hit her in the stomach, causing her to hesitate. Right now was the worst time for that, honestly. Still, she should go and clear everything up. She unlocked her door and opened it to see Luka standing there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anything, I was just surprised, and-" the stabbing pain and nausea returned, halting her speech. She couldn't get out another word. It was late, and she was tired. So tired. Too exhausted, sick, and in pain to stop herself from falling. She felt her stomach do flips as she plummeted towards the floor. Yet, she never hit. Luka caught her.

"You'll be alright. You're safe with me," he whispered with a smile. With her last moments of consciousness, she was aware that he was carrying her away from her room. To where, she knew not.

Adrien

Adrien had been having a good morning. He didn't have an off day nor was he put in the dining room, but it was still a good day. He simply woke up in a good mood. But then, all of a sudden, he was not. He had been standing guard outside the royal offices when his stomach dropped, his blood ran cold, and he felt fear grip him. Suddenly, he was a little boy again, willing himself to jump out of a tree and _knowing_ that the pain would come. Yet, this fear was a hundred times stronger. The pit stayed in his stomach. It felt like this pit was deeper than the ocean, could hold more than the skies. It felt like something was missing, and he didn't know why.

He ignored it. There was no logical reason to be in such a terrified state, so he went on with his day like nothing had even happened. Like he didn't want to throw up, or that his stomach was practicing acrobatics. He acted like it was all normal- up until the moment the news broke.

Hello! I know I haven't updated in forever. The next chapter is difficult to write because of the content. I'm sorry it took me this long to write, but I have a paper in school and my teacher is not very helpful in explaining any of it. I haven't had much time lately. When school ends I should have some more time. Please be patient with me! I'm sorry for the slow updates.

Editor's Note: Apparently the only thing that will motivate me to edit this is procrastinating studying for my tests and upcoming exams.

\- Bird


	7. The Princess and the Impostor: Part 2

**Authors Note:** I have reached 70 follows and 38 favorites (Thanks y'all I was convinced that no one liked this but okay then?)! I haven't mentioned that before because I just discovered it while editing the summary.

I changed the summary; you might have noticed. I had to change it because I had originally planned for it to be wayyy different. Luka was going to be able to turn into a dragon, Alya was going to be present at the kidnapping, there was going to be a _lot_ of magic... Yeah, I'm glad I didn't do that. It would be really messy. I'll probably post the original idea with the deleted scenes after I've completed the actual plot. Anyway, I am bad at summaries so it's not totally accurate. Apologizes for that…

Marinette

Marinette woke to sunlight streaming through a window in an unfamiliar room. Her back was sore- she had no clue what it had come from. It was uncomfortably warm in the room too, though that was normal for the time of year. She lain in the bed, immobilized by primordial instincts, trying to figure out where she was. She was still groggy when she ran through her assessment of the situation. She tensed her muscles to find her position in wherever she was. She found herself to be curled up in the fetal position- ready to take a blow. Smelling the air, she identified the aroma as old wood and an overpowering amount of flowers- the air was so sweetened by flowers, she could almost taste them. It was stuffy, so she tried to move her feet a little so she wouldn't be so hot- but to no avail.

She couldn't remember her sheets feeling like this. These sheets were of a different material, one of a lower quality. This bed had springs that had yet to pop. There was sunlight on her face- it wouldn't be present in her room. This would be the wrong direction for any light to be in her room- so where was she?

She refused to open her eyes completely and give herself away. Instead, she rolled over to the other side of the bed, away from the sun, acting as if she was still asleep. She opened her eyes a tiny bit and found herself to be in a large room with wood furnishings. She saw a chiffarobe, a desk with a chair, a couch, and a bookshelf stuffed with books. The stone walls were dark and shadowed. She waited a minute, then rolled to her other side, towards the sun.

She squinted a bit at the sun, and saw a huge window. Red curtains framed the sunny scene outside- she squinted but could not force her eyes to focus on the scene. There was a bedside table and found where the smell of flowers had come from. There was a vase brimming with flowers. She was able to identify a few of the many. Aster, bittersweet, chrysanthemums, jonquils, snapdragons (kudos if you can understand the message! - Editor), and so many other flowers she couldn't name filled the vase. Their mixed scent was terrible. She stopped squinting so she could investigate as she moved into a sitting position. As she did so, she heard someone at the foot of the bed clear their throat.

She flinched and felt her arms drop. Her head hit the wooden headboard of the bed and her head began to swim. Again, her vision grew blurry. She heard a yelp of surprise that hadn't come from her- and then everything went dark.

Adrien

This was a nightmare. The princess was gone, the castle was chaotic, and everything was a mess. Princess Marinette was missing- this worried the king, queen, and the entire castle. The few suitors that had been present were still there as of the next day, so that ruled them out as suspects. Half the castle was in tears, and there had been an announcement made to the country of her disappearance.

Rewards were being updated with higher sums for anyone who could provide information. As time wore on, they were getting more desperate. Adrien hadn't seen any posters, but he heard the amounts on them were high. After all, who wouldn't do everything in their power to bring their child (and literal princess) home?

Adrien had to focus on the others. He had to. There was no way he'd be able to function once he started to think. So thinking was not an option. He had to keep busy.

And he did. He spent hours training, trying to prove himself. Hours pouring over books and learning techniques of fighting. He even went so far as to research tracking in the library to give himself an edge. He begged Mr. D'Argencourt to let him go search for her and even requested permission from the king. King Tom told him he could if he was given clearance by Mr. D'Argencourt. He was refused multiple times. Every day it seemed fifteen more people were sent- but none of them were named Adrien. None of them had such a personal stake in it. None of them had been friends like those two had been.

Adrien wished he could take comfort in the fact that his friends weren't sent either. He wanted to, but he couldn't- he wished someone he trusted with his life was out there, looking for her. He wanted to be out there above all else.

After a fortnight had passed without a hint of a sign, his heart hardened. He became a shoulder to cry on, the hardest training guard, and quiet. Without someone so happy and outgoing to coax him out, he retreated into himself. Meanwhile, he retained a facade of being alright. Less people noticed because the hectic time in the castle and even then, worry coated the country.

Everyone was begging all good and holy for Marinette to be okay. Everyone- from the workers in the castle to the beggars in the alleys- they all wanted her home, safe and sound. Search parties scoured the woods and cities, towns and trails- yet to no avail.

The princes left and went home, proving that none were knight material. Cowards, every single one of them. Yet Adrien would not say, for fear of retribution. That fear could not silence his head though, and that was what actually mattered.

Rumors ran rampant. The princess had been spotted at the docks of the Seine, leaving for a distant land. She was hiding. She was off to explore the world. She ran off to elope with some random Parisian. She drowned in the Seine. She was living under the castle. She was part of the secret society called the "illuminati" and was now the leader. Each one was more ludicrous than the previous, and new ones were being spread every day.

Adrien knew better. She would have left a note, a sign, something, anything- she would not have disappeared without a trace. She had been forced to go, or had been forced to hide. She would not have let her parents hearts break- and she would not have let his either. She loved them all more than this. She would not have left that behind.

So, as time passed by, Adrien hatched a plan. He told no one- not even Nino- for fear of eavesdropping and discovery. He hatched a plot so he could help Marinette.

Marinette

When she finally woke up again, she sat straight up. She was well-rested. The afternoon sun shone through the window, showing her that this time, she was alone in the room. She looked down at her clothes and noticed that they were the same as they'd been… however long ago that had been. Once again examining the room, she found it to be a bit more space than she had originally had the impression of.

She felt her legs wobble when she stood, but she began to explore anyway. It seemed she was in an attic of some sort, but a sturdy one at that. The walls were made of dark rock and the white mortar stood out in contrast, giving the room an eerie feel. The window she'd previously seen was enormous- she could lay down on the ledge comfortably if she tried- and she opened it. A breeze came through the window and flushed out the stuffy smell of wood and sickly sweet flowers. She was able to breathe again. A small red bird perched on her windowsill and looked at her suspiciously. She didn't recognize it- it must not have been native to Paris.

But- if she hadn't been in Paris… where was she? She… she wasn't home. She was on a diplomatic trip, right? No, she… she didn't remember. She had to have been on a trip. She _**had**_ to have been, right? Oh, she was just being silly Marinette. She must have forgotten. Memory had never been her strong suit. She pushed the foreignity of the situation out of her mind and focused on the details of the room.

Looking out the window, she was intimidated. Before her lay fields of flowers and crops, a seemingly endless expanse of woods. Foliage was spread as far as her eye could see. There were stone walls surrounding the fields with crops and open spaces where the flowers were. The sun shone brilliantly on a river that led from one side of the property to the other, where it disappeared into the forest. The area was quite breathtaking.

When she went to investigate to find a closet, she found another room. It's function was for dining, she gathered, because there was food on the table. Very suddenly she realized she was hungry. What was the last thing she ate? Once again, she couldn't remember. The food consisted of some bread and jam- just like the breakfasts she made for herself at home. She sat down in the wooden chair provided for her, though she was aware there was a second across from her. While eating, she let her mind examine the space. It was spacious and large- perfect for a sewing room. It had some small windows at the top of the ceiling to let in light, but otherwise it was a clear space.  
Yet again, this begged the question- where was she? Now, she let herself dwell on her surroundings. A foreign bird meant she was in a foreign place. She was definitely not in France. Not Gallia (Alya's home country), either. She was not with Alya, because otherwise Alya would have been there by now. She was with someone. Someone had been in her room. Someone… who? Where? She began to panic. She didn't know where she was or who she was with. She could be on the other side of the world. Where was her family? She was not on a trip voluntarily. No, she would have brought Alya or her family. She would not be so alone, nor would she be… here. Where?

She ran back to the bedroom and looked out the window. No, nowhere in France. Not that she'd been to. She had never been to someplace like this, no- not in her entire life, not in _any_ country. She started to panic. She looked at the ground outside the window- no, that was too far. She would break her legs or her neck, and she couldn't afford either.

In a book Chat told her about once they used sheets as a rope to escape a tower, but this was too high for that. No, that would never work anyway. She began to search for another way of escape. No ladders or anything were there, and there were no doors in the rooms she had access to. No escape for her. But without doors, where did the previous visitor come from?

They'd have to return. And she'd be ready for them when they came.

 **Author's Note:** So now Marientte has been kidnapped and she is freaking out. I don't think I wrote that well so if you have any critiques I'd love to hear them. Sorry this chapter is short- writing the next part is going to take a while. I had a little more written but it needs a lot of revision to make sense.

Also, translation for the flowers:

Aster- Symbol of Love Bittersweet- Truth Chrysanthemums (different colors) - I love you, slighted love, truth. Jonquils- Love Me, Affection Returned, Desire for Affection Returned. Snapdragon- Deception

Basically what you are supposed to get from that is that 1. Luka does not understand flower language and 2. He likes her but he deceived her and now the truth is finally unveiled. If you like having symbolism going unexplained... well.. S. I figured it would be easier if I just explained it.


End file.
